


Think Before You Speak

by o_rcrist



Series: Durin's Line [3]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-03-08 03:04:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3192893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_rcrist/pseuds/o_rcrist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The three fools of Durin's Line try to court their Ones.<br/>Things get crazy, hectic, emotional, and brains continuously shut off at the worst times.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This picks up two weeks after the end of Scars.

It had been a long day and Fili was thrilled to finally be in the steaming warm baths. He was in the larger pool while Thorin and Dwalin walked him through his daily exercises, their eyes watching him carefully to make sure he didn't strain himself.

Dís was sitting with Kili in the smaller pool, teasing her sulking son. He had invited Tauriel to join them, but she had politely declined the invitation with only a small blush. She still wasn't comfortable with the nudity and preferred to bathe privately in her own rooms. None of them faulted her for it and they respected her decision, but dammit, how else was he supposed to get her involved in the family bonding time?

Bilbo was sitting across from Dís with Frodo burbling in his lap, the little faunt happily splashing water at Kili with a smile. Both Dís and Thorin had offered to teach the hobbits how to swim, but Bilbo had yet to give them a reply. Frodo was quite young and didn't understand how his parents had died, only knowing that they had gone out boating and never come back to him.

The faunt didn't seem to have a fear of water, but if he saw a boat, he would instantly clutch at Bilbo and refuse to let go. Bilbo agreed with Thorin that Frodo should at least know how to swim, but as a new parent he had unfounded fears about it.

For now they both let Bilbo think, but they would eventually bring the issue up again.

Fili smiled as he watched the hobbits, Bilbo having finally gotten over the last of his embarrassment about nudity in the months he had traveled with Dís and his arrival in Erebor. He felt ridiculous as he did one of his exercises, but no one laughed at him at least. He was slowly gaining back his mobility, being able to stretch his back with minimal discomfort now. Oin said he had to continue these exercises for at least another two weeks and then he would allow Fili back on the training grounds. He would be limited to his throwing knives and the lighter training swords, but it was better than sitting around and doing a whole fat lot of nothing.

He made his final lap around the pool, Thorin and Dwalin giving him nods of approval.

“Well done lad,” Dwalin said as Fili approached them. “How's your back feeling?”

Fili rolled his shoulders, smiling at the small burn in his muscles. “Sore, but good.”

“Nice and stretched?”

He nodded.

“Good. That's what you want. Can't have you returnin' to the trainin' grounds with a stiff back. I'd be bringin' you back to ya mother on a stretcher.”

Dís threw a look over to Dwalin. “I see my boys on a stretcher and someone will die.”

“Yes love.”

Fili laughed as he pulled himself out of the larger pool and into the smaller one. Frodo splashed water at him with a giggle and held out his arms to Fili. He smiled and held out his arms for Frodo to take, pulling the faunt out of Bilbo's lap and into his. “Let's give your Uncle a rest hmmmm?”

Frodo just giggled again and splashed Bilbo. “'Ncle Bilbo dirty!”

Bilbo smiled at his nephew as he grabbed a nearby bottle of soap and began to lather it into his hair. “I'm dirty because you dumped the whole bottle of cinnamon into my hair while I was making cinnamon rolls you little trouble maker.”

Frodo giggled. “'Ncle Bilbo smell good though!”

Fili laughed along with the faunt. “Definitely better than when he got covered in troll boogies.”

“Like you were smelling any better. Those sacks smelled _appalling_ and you were all ripe by the time we reached Rivendell.”

“I still wasn't covered in troll snot. You smelled the worst out of all of us.”

Bilbo glared at Fili, who just smirked back. “Keep sassing me. I won't make you dessert anymore.”

Fili's smirk immediately turned into a look of horror.

“That's what I thought.”

Frodo laughed and splashed the bubbles in the water towards Thorin. The dwarf king took the bottle of soap out of Bilbo's hands and finished lathering the soap in the older hobbits hair. Bilbo all but purred at the dwarf kings ministrations. Dwalin sat down beside Dís, who immediately moved to sit in between her lovers legs. He carefully began to pull apart her braids, setting her beads and clasps into a small dish at the pools edge. She smiled happily and addressed her oldest son. “I'm surprised Zara isn't here.”

Fili groaned and sank down in the water. “Don't even start amad.”

Dís rolled her eyes. “She's here in the Mountain on her own. You know how important this time is to dwarves. It would be polite to invite her.”

He glared at his mother. “She's already in your good graces, which means she's smarter than me. I don't need you two conspiring behind my back.”

Dwalin snorted and Dís swatted at his hands. “We won't be conspiring behind your back. And honestly love, what would I conspire about with her?”

He glared harder at his mother. “I don't know but I don't want to find out. She's still mad at me.”

Frodo giggled and splashed more water at Kili, who threw a tidal wave back in return. Fili sputtered as water hit him square in the face and he passed the little trouble maker off to his brother. “Yank on his hair,” he whispered to Frodo. “Hard.”

Frodo giggled and nodded.

“What did you tell him?” Kili demanded to know.

“To stop splashing,” Fili lied smoothly.

He looked back to find his mother glaring at him with her arms crossed. “You haven't apologized to her yet? It's been _forty years_ since that feast for Mahal's sake!”

Fili threw his arms up in frustration. “Because I couldn't find her after the feast and when I finally did she was never alone!” He thought back to that time and grimaced. “Or she had a dagger in her hands. I wasn't about to risk my dwarf-hood. Either way, I couldn't apologize. And it was decades before she came back again!”

“What about when you saw her ten years ago?” she demanded. “At the Durin's Day feast in Ered Luin? I know you talked to her.”

Fili grabbed a bottle of soap and began to vigorously wash his hair.

“Ya know ignoring your mother isn't going to get you anywhere,” Dwalin warned him.

“Thank you for your input.”

“Fili...” Dís began warningly. “Why didn't you apologize to her?”

He lathered his hair even more. “Because she was surrounded by those _harpies_ she calls her friends! They were all glaring at me so we just exchanged pleasantries and that was it.” At his mothers increasing glare, he quickly added. “I tried to catch her alone, but she would run off as soon as I found her.”

He dunked his head down in the water, rinsing the soap from his hair. “I thought about writing to her,” he said as he emerged. “But I knew she wouldn't have accepted it. She would have seen it as an insult and never forgiven me.”

Thorin looked at Dís. “The lad has a point. You know her, sister. She would have been even more insulted and probably would have chopped off his braids.”

Fili quickly clamped his hands down on his hair. “Yeah, definitely don't need any hair chopped off.”

Kili laughed at his brother as he took the bottle of soap and began to suds up Frodo. The faunt yelped and grabbed onto Kili's loose hair, pulling hard.

“OWW OWW OWWW OWOWO!”

Frodo giggled and yanked on Kili's hair again.

“That stuff is connected to my head you knoooOWWWW!”

Thorin snorted and held out his arms to Frodo. “Come here lad.” Frodo happily latched onto the dwarf kings hands and was pulled over into Thorin's lap. He held the squirming faunt down while Bilbo quickly washed the soap out of Frodo's hair, ignoring his nephews shouts of not needing to be clean.

“Ignore all these fools Fili,” Bilbo instructed him while ignoring the squawks of protest from Thorin and Dís. “Find her and apologize to her and just make sure it's sincere.”

Fili cocked his eyebrow. “That's it?”

Bilbo thought for a moment. “Some grovelling wouldn't hurt either.”

The lad huffed and crossed his arms. “I'm a Prince of Erebor. I don't _grovel_.”

Bilbo snorted. “You think your _dams_ are stubborn? Go back to The Shire and try to win over those ladies. I've seen more men grovel than you could even _imagine_. Trust me Fili. Don't make yourself look pathetic, but don't be above begging for forgiveness.”

Fili nodded while Thorin watched Bilbo suspiciously. “Have you done much grovelling in your life?” he carefully asked Bilbo.

The hobbit continued to wash the messy faunt in front of him. “My tastes have never been towards the female form, but that doesn't mean I haven't angered my female relatives before. Trust me when I say I've done my share.” He looked up at Thorin sweetly. “Any other questions?”

Thorin quickly shook his head. “Nope, we're good.”

“Excellent. Now,” Bilbo turned his head towards Kili and pointed at the young dwarf. “You stop your sulking, get out of this bath and take Tauriel for walk for Yavanna's sake.”

Kili sputtered indigently. “I'm not sulking.”

Bilbo rolled his eyes. “Of course you aren't. You're just sitting in the corner, arms crossed and glaring at the water for no reason. My mistake. Of course you aren't sulking. You're _pouting_.”

He splashed water at Bilbo. “I'm not pouting either!”

“Then get out of this bath, dry off, and go talk to Tauriel. She won't get used to dwarven ways unless you explain them to her.” He glared at all three of the Durin men and Dwalin. “Not just assuming everyone has the same customs!”

“Well it's not like you said anythin' at first,” Dwalin grumbled.

“I was in a company of thirteen _dwarves_! I was outnumbered and wasn't about to tell you that we hobbits aren't as open with nudity when it was _your_ quest!”

“Well you should have,” the old dwarf grumbled, hiding behind Dís' back when Bilbo turned to glare at him. He tightened his arms around her waist. He wasn't above using her as a shield. She would protect him from the hobbit's wrath. In theory.

Bilbo turned his glare towards Kili. “Why are you still here?”

Kili glared at the hobbit in return.

“Go talk to her or no dessert for month.”

Kili shot out of the pool.

Bilbo smiled and returned to scrubbing down Frodo. “Works like a charm.”

“You are a vindictive hobbit,” Thorin stated.

He huffed and rolled his eyes. “Not vindictive. Convincing.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Kili yanked on some dry clothes, toweling his dripping hair dry as he paced around his room trying to make himself half-way presentable. He opened his wardrobe as he tossed his wet towel onto the floor, the wolves scrunching their noses at the smell.

“Don't give me that look.”

He pulled a warm tunic out and put it on over his shirt. He grabbed his brush and started yanking it though his hair, getting the last of the snarls out of it. He finally managed to get it look decent, before gathering it all together and using a leather strip to tie it at the back of his head.

He turned around to look at the wolves and found Esse giving him an exasperated look.

“What?”

She rolled her eyes and groaned.

“Well who asked you?”

She stood up in a huff and turned away from before laying back down. Little spoiled princess.

He pulled on his boots and started making his way towards the door but was almost run over by Flint.

“No!” Kili yelled as he pushed Flint back. “You stay here. I don't need my competition to be my own wolf.”

Flint wagged his tail in response and licked Kili's face.

He groaned as he wiped the drool off his face. “Thanks bud. So helpful.”

Flint wagged his tail harder and trotted towards the door. Kili pushed the wolf back behind him as he opened the door. “No! Stay here.” He quickly shut the door behind him, ignoring Flint's whines. Pain in the butt attention seeker.

He walked over to Tauriel's room, softly knocking on the door. Tauriel opened the door a few moments later, wearing nothing but a bath robe.

“You look nice,” Kili said with a grin, realizing his mistake a second to late.

_Why_ did his brain have to shut off now?

“And you smell like a dog.”

SLAM

“Tauriel!”

“Go take another bath!”

“Only if you join me!”

CRAP. He could feel his brain melting out of his ears.

“I _will_ use you for target practice!”

Kili groaned and knocked on the door again. “Please come out Tauriel! I'm sorry. It just slipped out!” He could hear her cursing in Elvish on the other side of the door. “Please Tauriel? Just come out on a walk with me? No snarky commentary.”

He could hear her laugh. “As if you could ever turn _that_ off.”

“It not like I asked if you wanted to search me.”

“ _This_ time!”

“That was the first time we met! It was to good of a chance to pass up!”

“You really are clueless.”

He hit the door again. “Oh come on! At least give me the chance to say I'm sorry to your face!”

He could hear her throw something in her room, but he refused to leave until he got her to come out. “I'm not leaving you know.”

“Well you're going to be waiting an awfully long time.”

“I'm a dwarf. We're more stubborn than you pointy eared elves!” He grinned as he heard her stomp towards the door.

“Really?” she yelled as opened the door. “'Pointy-eared elves'? Is that _really_ the best you can come up with?”

Kili laughed and uncrossed his arms. “No but it got you out here.”

She glared at him and started to slam the door shut again, but Kili quickly stuck his foot out, preventing it from closing all the way. However it did result in him yelling loudly as the heavy door smashed into his foot.

Maybe it was worth it since it did get a crack of a smile from Tauriel.

“See, that's what you get.”

Kili fell down in a huff, preventing her from shutting the door on his foot again. He rubbed at it carefully, as he threw a small glare up at her. “You're not wanting to make me apologize anymore.”

“You started it!”

“And I'm _trying_ to finish it!”

Tauriel groaned as she turned around and stomped towards her bathroom. “At least shut the damn door behind you. You, your brother and Frodo may be fine with running down those halls stark naked, but I prefer not show off that much skin.”

He scooted over a bit, shutting the door with a flick of his hand. “Hey! That was _one_ time! Bilbo was making cheesecake. _Chocolate drizzle cheesecake_! Do you have idea how long it had been since we'd had chocolate? He yelled and we came running.”

Tauriel closed the bathroom door and he could hear her shuffling about inside. “At least have the decency to grab a towel next time!”

Kili rolled his eyes, standing up and carefully putting weight on his injured foot. “Duly noted.” He walked around her room, sitting down on one of the sofas in front of the fire. “You know, you'd get used to it more if you saw it more.”

“EXCUSE ME?”

Kili quickly back pedaled as Tauriel stuck her head out of the bathroom and glared daggers at him. “Not that way! I meant that if you joined us at bath time, maybe it wouldn't bother you so much!

“Are you planning on streaking through the halls again?”

“Not currently.”

“That's it. Where are my knives?”

“I'm kidding!” He at least had the heart to look somewhat sheepish. “I....I just want you to understand? Nudity doesn't bother us because we spend that time together everyday. And we'd all enjoy it if you did join us.”

“I don't need everyone staring at me.”

“They wouldn't stare at you!” Kili quickly defended. “It's considered rude!”

“You're _trying_ to court me!” she yelled back. “You're telling me they wouldn't stare at an elf and dwarf together?”

“Of course not!”

She continued to glare at him.

“Not in the Royal Baths at least! The majority of people who have access to those are The Company.”

Her glare downgraded to a scowl and she retreated back into the bathroom.

“What about all those nobles you hold council with every week?”

He made a face. “Ehhhh......they have access to but they rarely use them. They like to flaunt the fact they have private baths.”

“Do they not have families?”

Kili shook his head even though she couldn't see him. “Not one of them. Some of them lost their families in The Fall, while others just never married. Either way the majority of the time the members of The Company are the only people who use the baths.”

“Who all also happen to be men.”

“Good thing my mother didn't just hear that.”

“You know what I mean!”

Kili rolled his eyes as Tauriel walked out of the bathroom, dressed in sleep pants and a lose shirt. “Bilbo and Frodo are there to, and they're the most proper people I know.”

Tauriel huffed as she sat down on her bed and began to brush out her long hair. “That isn't the point Kili.”

He sat down on the trunk in front of her bed. “But that _is_ the point Tauriel. Hobbits are probably the most prim and proper beings in all of Middle-Earth and if they can spend bath time with us, why couldn't you?”

She worked on getting a knot out of her hair. “Now you're making me sound like a terrible person.”

“That's not my intention and you know that.”

Tauriel sighed, putting down her brush and sectioning out her hair to braid it.

“I don't do bonding time Kili,” she said quietly. “I've been on my own for over six hundred years. My parents were murdered by orcs. I had no other family, so I dedicated my life to protecting The Greenwood instead.”

Kili smiled at her sadly. “I know, but you aren't in The Greenwood anymore. You're in Erebor now and you have friends here Tauriel. Friends who want to spend time with you.”

“I do spend time with them.”

“Helping us run Erebor doesn't count.”

She finished her braid and tied it off with a leather strip.

“I don't do bonding time,” she repeated. She looked up at him, and Kili noticed just how lost she looked. “I'm better off on my own. I'm not funny, I don't know how to take care of children, I don't know how to act around a family.” She looked back down, fiddling with the loose hair that was normally her dwarf-friend braid.

Kili moved to sit in front of her, gently taking the strands of hair out of her hands and beginning to braid it. “You don't have to know or be any of those things. We like you for who you are Tauriel.” She gave him a dry look. “It sounds sappy, but we do. And honestly, do you think I know anything about taking care of children? I was the younger brother, and Gloin wouldn't let anyone hold Gimli until he could walk after Oin dropped him at birth so I've never held a baby before.” He tied off the end of her braid and let is go, watching it gently swing in the air.

Tauriel was staring down at her hands, looking incredibly unsure about everything.

“One time, Tauriel.” He took one of her hands in his. “Just one time. If you don't like it, I'll never ask you to do it again.”

Tauriel's eyes briefly flicked to his and then down to their hands. He waited patiently, knowing she was deep in thought and that she would talk when she was ready. He eyed her braid for a second, thinking of the silver bead he had in his room, sitting in it's own little dish. He had wanted to give it to her at the feast, but it had seemed presumptuous. Not to mention the intense pressure it would have put her under to accept it. He wanted her to accept it on her terms, which meant that he had to wait until the right time.

He had _absolutely_ no idea when the right time would be, but well, he would figure that part out later.

“I'll do it,” she said quietly. “I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try it once.”

Kili all but beamed. “You'll have fun. I promise.”

Tauriel smiled nervously in return. “Bathing with dwarves. Their's something I never thought I would do. I suppose there is a first for everything.”

Kili was thrilled. This was working perfectly, which meant that....

“We can take a bath right now if you want!”

His brain shut off again.

The loose grip Tauriel had on his suddenly turned into a crushing one and he bit his lip. “I will drown you in my bathtub.”

“Did I say bath? I meant walk.”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

“I'm bored.”

Fili smiled as he looked at Frodo out of the corner of his eye. The faunt was sitting in Fili's chair as the Council discussed the changes to the mines Zara had recently suggested. She and Bofur had already seen great improvement, the first of the mines they had stabilized were now underway to start producing the gems and precious metals that Erebor was known for. They were now working on stabilizing the next set of mines, but it seemed it might be to late to save them.

When Bofur had led his men into the mines, rock's had started to fall around them almost immediately. Bofur refused to send his men into a death trap and had pulled them away, but those mines held up a main section of Erebor. If the mines collapsed, half of the city might collapse as well. They couldn't be left to fall into ruin for much longer or Erebor might soon suffer another disaster.

“Just a little longer,” Fili quietly whispered to the faunt, who nodded and continued to look through the book Ori had given him.

Bofur sighed and slumped down in his seat. “I won't make my men go back into those tunnels without a plan. They've got families, friends, little ones to feed. I won't be the one responsible for sending them to Mahal's Halls before their time.”

Thorin looked down at the map in front of him, specifically detailed to show where every mine in Erebor was located. “We have to stabilize those mines. If we don't the death toll could be catastrophic.”

Zara leaned over and pointed to the main part of the map near the entrance of the Mountain. “That worms comings and goings all but destroyed those mines Your Majesty. The rock bed is full of cracks and lose stone. Should an earthquake occur, that _entire_ section of the mountain is going to collapse. Even if that doesn't happen it's only a matter of time before small sections begin to, followed by bigger sections, and eventually the entire area.”

“What do you suggest then? Is their anyway that you can stabilize those mines?”

Fili watched Zara think for a moment, already having an idea of what she was going to say. Her and Bofur had already done everything they could think of, which left only one option.

“We fill the mine up.”

The nobles in the room immediately began to shout in protest.

“That mine is full of diamonds!”

“It produces more jewels in a single week than our next leading mine does in a month!”

“The cost!”

“Have you lost your mind!”

“SILENCE!” Zara roared. “Are you so concerned about money that you would allow innocents to die? Because they will!”

She looked to Bofur. “We have thought of everything! Stabilizing the mines bit by bit, discussing ways to take pressure off those mines, perhaps leveling sections of Erebor to lessen the immense weight on those mines. Not one of them will work.”

Bofur nodded. “Aye. She's right, whether you like it or not. Her father runs the mines in the Iron Hills; he's passed down everything he knows to her. When she speaks, I _suggest_ you listen to her.”

Zara smiled smugly. “Thank you my lord.”

Bofur snorted and took a swig of his ale. “You're more than welcome my lady.” He gave a dirty look to the nobles who had spoken against Zara. “As for you lot, I would do as she says, otherwise the news that you put your own wealth before the citizens you swore to protect might spread around this mountain.”

“That is blackmail,” one of them seethed. “A crime punishable by dismissal from this council.” He turned to Thorin, seeking his support.

“Shut up,” Thorin growled at the dwarf. “What Bofur say's when he's drinking ale with his men is his business, not mine. It's not my reputation at stake here.”

Visibly chastised, the dwarf sat back down and glared at his mug of ale.

Zara threw a glare at the dwarf as well, before turning back to address the rest of the council. “We have to fill the mines with as much rubble, rock, and sand as possible. Fill in as many cracks as possible, as much space as possible. Doing so will ensure that the rock does not collapse in on itself.”

“We have plenty of that from the dragon's rampaging,” Bofur added in. “We can get the rest from Dale.”

“What about a way to seal it all together?” Fili asked. “To prevent it from moving? And to fill in the gaps that even the smallest stone cannot?”

“Water?” Kili suggested.

“No,” Zara answered. “It would eventually drain away, possibly taking some of the support away with it. We would need something more permanent.”

Fili watched his brothers frustrated scowl turn to a grin. He noticed that Zara was carefully watching Kili as well. “What are you thinking of?” she asked slowly.

“We seal it with gold.” He looked at them all. “Think about it! We have an abundance of it. More than we could use in even the longest dwarves lifetime.” He looked to Zara and Bofur. “Would it be possible to cut a channel into the floor, similar to the ones we have in the forges to direct the gold into those tunnels?”

“That's a long shot lad,” Bofur said with a sigh. “It would take a long while for that gold to harden and fill the shape.”

“Then we build a mold, like the one they had of Thror. After you put all the rocks into the mines, seal it almost to the top, leaving just enough room for the gold to pour in, but not to come out. If we do it slow enough, we wouldn't have to worry about it not setting.”

He looked to the two of them, hoping that his logic was sound.

Zara sat back in her chair heavily. “You're not wrong Kili. It's the same idea as using concrete.”

“But..?” Kili asked hesitantly.

“It's risky.”

“What part of this isn't?” Fili pointed out. “If we do nothing, the city will eventually collapse. If we do this, at least the mines are somewhat stabilized at the worst, _buying_ us the time to find another option.”

Zara's lips twitched slightly as she tried to hide her smile. Fili smirked back in return. Thorin groaned and looked back down to his notes in front of him.

“Lady Zara, if we did this, how much gold would you expect to need to fill the mines?”

“At least twice the amount currently on the floor of the Gallery of the Kings Your Majesty. The rocks and rubble will take up most of the space. The gold will simply have to fill in the cracks and hold it all in place. It seems Mahal has some mercy, since those mines do not go to far back nor do they connect to any of the main mines.”

“As of now, all gold production goes towards those mines. Stabilizing and making this mountain safe is our priority.” Zara nodded. “Bofur.” The hatted miner looked up to his king from his ale. “I'm sure you can come up with a way to roll those rocks to the end of the mine without sending your men down their.”

Bofur smirked. “Aye, I have a few ideas.”

“Start on those right away then. How long until you can have this done?”

Zara and Bofur looked at each other, having a silent conversation. “Two weeks, if nothing goes wrong.”

“Let us hope that nothing does then.”

The entire Council nodded in agreement. Thorin looked down at the map one more time before letting out a deep breath. “Unless anyone else has any ideas, the Council is dismissed.”

The nobles grumbled as they walked out of the council, while Fili carefully picked up Frodo and set the lad on his hip. “Can we go to the trainin' ground please?” Frodo said crankily.

“Lets say good-bye to Thorin and then Kili and I will take you,” he promised the lad.

Thorin smiled at the three of them. “Go on. Let him run wild before dinner starts. Just make sure he's washed up before touching Bilbo's food.”

Frodo stuck out his tongue at Thorin. “I'm always clean.”

“Says the faunt with crumbs all down his shirt from the cookies he snuck in.”

All three of them laughed as Frodo glared at the great dwarf king. “You're mean.”

“Oh now that wounds me Frodo.” He ruffled Frodo's hair and brushed the crumbs away. “Go on, all three of you.” He gave Fili a look. “Don't even think about picking up your daggers yet. You've still got another week and a half to go.”

“Yes Uncle.”

Thorin smiled again and waved them off, the three of them making their way towards the training grounds, Kili all but thrumming with excitement at getting his hands on his bow again. Frodo pulled another cookie out of his pocket and munched on it happily.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well the spring semester has started again, which means that once again I will be busy with both school and work full time. I will get chapters out as often as I can, but I make no promises as to when the next one will be out.


	4. Chapter 4

Fili sat at the sidelines of the archery range with Frodo in his lap, the faunt clapping and cheering at Kili every time he made a shot. Fili smiled as Kili beamed, more than happy to show off to his attentive audience.

Since Fili had been released from his bedrest, he was often Frodo's babysitter at the training grounds, which he was more than happy to do. They visited almost daily, Fili having been quick to impress upon Frodo the importance of always staying with an adult and to never step over the boundaries that were etched into the ground, clearly showing where it was safe to walk and where it was not. While no dwarf would ever maliciously harm a child, accidents did happen, so they took every precaution possible.

Off in a far corner, their were some younger dwarrows being trained by several of the guards under Dwalin's command. Frodo eyed them a bit jealously. He was eager to start learning, but Bilbo was firm in his belief that Frodo would not do so until he was at least a decade old. He could have all the toys swords he desired, but actual weapons were off limits.

The training dwarrows realitively young, ranging from about fifteen years old to their early thirties. Dwarves started their weapons training young and were given a very broad training at first, before they chose their specific weapon around their twentieth birthday. It was a very firm belief in their culture that if a dwarrow did not study every weapon, how could they know what their true weapon was? It also served as an early education on what your enemies weapons. If you knew how to wield it, you could know how to defend against it.

Frodo cheered and clapped as Kili shot three apples off a dummies head, and Kili gave him a dramatic bow.

“Can I try?” Frodo asked eagerly. “Please?” His blue eyes went impossibly wide, pleadingly looking between the brothers.

Fili and Kili shared a quick look, before Fili nodded. “You listen to Kili and you do _exactly_ as he says, understand?”

Frodo nodded and clambered out of Fili's lap, holding out his hand for Kili to take before he crossed the boundary. He led Frodo to the starting line, getting down on one knee and gently maneuvering Frodo to where he needed to be. “Okay, I'm going to have you stand right there, and I'll walk you through this.”

Frodo nodded and Kili pulled the lad a little closer to him. He handed his bow to Frodo and Fili smiled at how it looked up next to him.

Frodo carefully held the bow in his hands, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head at being allowed to touch it. Bilbo had a very strict 'no violence around Frodo' rule, so the lad was very rarely granted the opportunity to touch the companies weapons.

The faunt held the bow in his hands the best he could, trying to mimic Kili. His tongue was peaking out from between his lips as he tried to pull the string back with no success. He tried again, but the string refused to budge.

“I think your bow's broken Kili. The string won't move!”

Kili laughed and shook his head. “It's not broken. It takes a lot of strength to pull the string on my bow. It took me years to build up my strength to pull it.”

Frodo frowned at the bow before looking back to Kili. “How can I use it then?”

Kili smiled and gently put his hand over Frodo's. “With a little help. Now back right up against me and we'll shoot off some arrows.”

He guided Frodo's hand to properly hold the string, and together they pulled the string back to it's full drawing strength. Frodo grinned and looked to Fili. “Look!”

Fili grinned back. “Well done Frodo.”

Kili carefully brought the string back to it's resting position, retrieving an arrow from the quiver at his hip and handing it to Frodo. “Let's see how well you pay attention. Knock the arrow.”

Frodo nodded, moving it into place like he had seen Kili do hundreds of times. He looked at Kili nervously, the faunt clearly hoping he had done it correctly. Kili moved Frodo's fingers, but nodded in approval. “Careful you don't put your finger over the arrow.” He pulled the arrow out of position and held up the tail for Frodo to examine. “You see the feathers that I use?”

Frodo nodded quickly.

Kili ran his fingers over the feather and then held it out to Frodo who carefully ran his small fingers over it. “The arrow leaves so fast, that while it's soft right now, the feather can easily cut your fingers when you fire it off.”

Frodo nodded. “So I have to have the arrow rest on top of my finger instead?”

“Exactly.” Kili handed the arrow back to Frodo, who correctly knocked it into place. He once again put his hands over Frodo's, helping him pull the string back. “Aim at whatever you want, except for Fili.”

Frodo giggled while Fili rolled his eyes. The faunt's eyes scanned the vast assortment of dummies, all of which had been created by Kili and Bifur several months ago when the training grounds had been restored to their former glory. The dummies ranged from goblins, wolves, to elves that were coincidently dressed like Thranduil.

Frodo thought for a moment before he moved the bow slightly to his right. “The ugly orc.”

The ugly orc was a favorite for the younger dwarrows, dressed ridiculously in some mish-mash of clothing at least two-hundred years out of date, oversized wooden ears and it's painted face had large X's for eyes.

Fili laughed. “An excellent choice Frodo.”

“Alright,” Kili told him. “On your count, we release the arrow okay?”

“Three,” Frodo said.

Kili nodded. “Go ahead.”

“One......”

Kili could feel Frodo's fingers shift nervously and he carefully adjusted his grip to make sure the arrow didn't fire accidentally.

“Two.....”

Frodo took a deep breath.

“Three!”

Kili released the arrow as soon as he felt Frodo's finger loosen their hold, the arrow flying across the grounds, but missing the dummy.

“Son of a hat eating dwarf!” Both brothers looked at the faunt in shock, before they burst into laughter. Frodo was not amused and stuck out his tongue at them. “I missed!”

Kili continued to laugh as he pulled out another arrow. “It was your first try. Their's nothing wrong with that?”

“You don't miss!”

“I've been doing this since I was five years old. It takes a while, but the longer you're at it, the better you get.” Kili shook his head and pointed to Fili. “Ask him. I used to miss all the time when I was your age. I still miss sometimes. That's why I never stop practicing.”

Frodo looked to Fili, his face showing that he was clearly convinced that Kili was lying to him.

“He's right lad. When he was your age, the only thing that was safe from his arrows was his target.”

Kili rolled his eyes. “Now _that's_ an exaggeration.”

“You once shot someone standing right behind you.”

“It's not my fault it ricocheted off the tree!”

Frodo stomped his furry foot against the ground. “HEY! Back to me!”

Fili chuckled. “No makes their first shot with an arrow Frodo. Or at least it never hits what they're aiming at.” He gestured towards the arrow Kili was holding in his hand. “Try again.”

Frodo turned back to Kili, taking the arrow and knocking it once more. “How do I aim better?”

Kili once more began instructing Frodo, the faunt diligently paying attention and nodding along.

“Isn't he a bit young to be learning how to use a bow?”

Fili turned around, not surprised in the least to see Zara approaching him. After the council meetings, she usually burned off her frustration on the training grounds. As she had told him the first time he had asked, “It's either I do this or I take off their heads next time I see them.”

Fili had agreed readily, his family by no means ready to hold Erebor's first murder trial.

“He is, but he asked.” He smiled as he watched Kili and Frodo out of the corner of his eye. “We've learned that it's easier to satisfy his curiosity rather than tell him he can't do something. It'll be years before he starts his official training and even then it wouldn't be taught the way we were.”

She smiled as she watched the faunt, Fili absently thinking how nice her genuine ones were.

“I don't see him ever having the strength to wield a war-hammer or our axes.”

Fili nodded in agreement. “Agreed. He'll have to stick to the lighter weapons. Knives, swords, bow and arrow. From what I've seen Bilbo do, hobbits are better at defending and deflecting since they're lighter and faster on their feet. He'll be able to outwit and outsmart an opponent with speed, instead of having to rely on strength.”

“It will be interesting watching him train in a few years.”

Fili looked to her curiously. “Would you return to the mountain then?”

Zara shrugged noncommittally. “I might. The mines here are different from those in the Iron Hills, a challenge I would have readily accepted if Bofur had not already laid a claim to them. I would never want to overstay my welcome with him.”

Fili laughed and shook his head. “He thinks the world of you, so I doubt that would be possibly.”

She smiled, sheathing the sword in her hand. “Still, they are his mines and I would not want him to think I am trying to take them from him.”

“I don't believe he would ever think that. He's the sole runner of the mines. Bifur occasionally helps him, but he's happiest when he's carving and running his toy stand. His men are the best, but I can only assume that having all of Erebor's mine production resting on his shoulders is no easy task.”

Zara nodded in agreement. “It isn't. I've watched my father run his mines on his own all my life and he's always said more than once that somedays he has no idea how he manages it, and the number of mines he has are half of what Erebor has. What Bofur is doing is incredible and a great achievement.”

“I did it!”

Fili and Zara turned to look at Frodo, who was beaming as he jumped up and down, pointing to the arrow sticking out of the dummies knee.

“That's great Frodo!”

Frodo continued to jump as he turned around back to Kili. “Can I do it again?”

His brother nodded and handed another arrow to Frodo. While he helped Frodo position himself again, Kili gave him a small wave, silently communicating to his brother that he was free to go off with Zara if he wished. Fili smiled back at his brother and then returned his attention back to Zara and gesturing towards the stands bordering the archery range.

“Would you like to talk a while?”

She nodded, falling into step beside him as they climbed the stands and made themselves comfortable about half-way up them.

“Will Master Baggins' be angry that you've allowed his nephew to do this?” Zara asked with some concern. “I've heard he is very set in his hobbit ways.”

Fili smiled and nodded. “He definitely likes his hobbity ways, but he won't be angry with us. Kili may be reckless sometimes, but he's an excellent instructor. He would never allow Frodo to come to harm.”

She laughed. “For your sake, I hope you're right. It would be a shame if he killed you before we could face each other here.”

He gave Zara a dry look as she continued to laugh. “A _hobbit_ is not going to kill me. You might, but Bilbo wouldn't harm a hair on my pretty head.”

“You really believe that?”

Fili snorted and shook his head. “Please. If I put Frodo in harms way he'll skin me alive.”

She watched Frodo for a minute as he once again took aim and fired off, this time his arrow going between the dummies legs. “The Burglar is a new parent. He's bound to be worried and over-protective at his best.”

Fili nodded. “From what my mother told me, he was horrible at the beginning of the journey back to Erebor. Constantly worried and fretting over Frodo and it took her a solid month to get him to unbunch his waistcoat and calm down.”

She snorted and wiped at some sweat trickling down the side of her face. “He'll relax more as Frodo grows.”

He looked at her curiously. “How can you be sure?”

She shrugged and motioned for one of the attendants to bring over some water. The dwarrow quickly came over and set down a pitcher of water in front of them as well as two cups. Zara gave the dwarrow a smile as well as a nod, the dwarrow nodding in return before retreating back to the sidelines. She poured herself a drink and finished it off in three large gulps. Fili poured himself a cup as well as he waited for her answer.

“From what I've seen,” she answered him. “My mother died when I was young, so my father raised me for the most part. It wasn't uncommon for me to accompany him as he made his rounds through his mines and visited some of his miners. I became friends with some of their wives as I grew and many of them were mothers. I watched them go from absolute nervous wrecks as first time mothers to the most confident dams I've ever known.” Her eyes flicked to Fili briefly. “Several of my friends have recently married and one of them discovered she was with child about a month before I arrived in Erebor. I'm the only person she knows who has any experience with dwarflings, so she writes me several times a week asking for advice.”

“Married?” Fili said incredulously. “It is strange to think of dwarves our age married.”

She shrugged. “The eldest is three decades older than me. Your mother was married by then.”

“Those were different times, with them being in exile.”

“It is completely respectable for dwarrows to be married at that age! Exile or not!”

“So you're telling me you want to be married when you're just past your first century?”

She shook her head. “I don't have to be married at all. Marriage doesn't mean anything if you're not with someone you love. One foolishly married for political advantage, which I will never understand.”

Fili looked at her in shock. “Political advantage? That's a disgrace to them!”

She nodded in agreement. Dwarves as a rule only _married_ their ones. It was practically unheard of for a dwarf, particularly a dwarrowdam, to marry for political advantage. It was usually a closely guarded secret if they did, for the marriage would be seen as a disgrace to Mahal.

“Why would their families allow such a thing to happen?”

She groaned as took another swig of her water. “Because they were fooled. He had something she wanted and she had something he wanted. They worked it out and played their parts perfectly, so the entirety of the Iron Hills believed them.”

“Except for you,” he stated slowly.

She nodded. “I knew better.”

“How?”

She refused to look at him. “Because I just did.”

He groaned and slumped back against the stands. “Are you really going to lie to me?”

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I'm not lying.”

“You're terrible at lying.”

“So are you.”

“I'm not the one who just got caught in their lie.”

She ignored him and took another drink of her water. Fili groaned again, leaning forward and putting his elbows on his knees. “Why can't you just admit that you have a One?”

“Because I don't-”

Fili quickly cut her off. “Are you _really_ going to try to lie about that _now_?” She gave him a dirty look. “I'm serious Zara! I know I didn't make the best impression at that feast, but I did try to apologize to you. I'm _still_ trying to apologize to you! Any other dwarrow would have given up forty years ago and never thought twice about it. But I haven't. And it's because _you're_ my One!”

She turned and glared at him. “And _what_ happens if I do admit you're my One?”

He glared back in return. “I write down in the history books that you actually admitted to something and then we go on with our lives. It changes nothing!”

“You say that now, but you're a Prince of Erebor! You're expected to marry, have a Queen, and provide Heirs for the throne!”

His brain desperately tried to catch up to what she was talking about. “What?!”

“You heard me!”

“You're talking about things that haven't even crossed my mind yet!”

“Well they should have!”

He groaned, putting his head in his hands as he took a deep breath. He was quiet for a minute and he could hear Zara taking deep breaths beside him as well.

“Zara,” he began quietly. “I don't want to fight. We've spend the better part of four decades doing that. I just want you to stop denying reality.” He looked up to her. “I don't expect anything from you. I know what my position entails and I know what my responsibilities are. I would _never_ force that on you.” He snorted and smiled at her. “Like I could actually make you do something you don't want to.”

Her glare melted into a small smile.

“I just want you to think about it. I'm your One and you're mine. I _just_ want the chance to actually get to know you.”

She let out a heavy sigh as she nodded. “I suppose I could do that. After I hear your apology of course.”

He rolled his eyes, but smiled at her. “I'm sorry about how I acted at the feast. I was rude, arrogant, and a genuine asshole which I deeply regret and hope to make up for somehow.”

Zara nodded, slowly reaching out and squeezing his hand. “Apology accepted.” He gently squeezed her hand back. “I'll let you know how to make up for it soon.” She looked over her shoulder to the grounds behind her. “I suppose I should rejoin my friends. They've been itching for a fight all day. It's time I show them how much fun it is to eat sand.”

He snorted and released her hand so she could leave. She looked back to Frodo and Kili, who quickly looked away from her and back to the bow in Frodo's hands. They quickly fired off an arrow to try and distract from the fact that they had been eavesdropping, the arrow somehow imbedding itself dead-center in the dummies chest.

Frodo cheered happily and Zara smiled as she looked at Fili. “Keep an eye on the trouble makers. I'll see you later tonight at dinner.”

He smiled as she left, watching her make her way back towards her friends, one of whom must have mocked her because she punched him square in the gut.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In other news, I should be signing a lease for an apartment later this coming week, so I make no promises on when the next update will be, since I will be out shopping in my spare time since I have absolutely nothing for my first apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

“Put Frodo down.”

“No. He's my protection.”

Bilbo glared at Thorin who was holding a fast asleep Frodo in his arms. The lad had just been freshly bathed and dressed for bed, his little fists tightly gripping Thorin's braids. The lad had raved all of dinner about shooting Kili's bow at the archery range earlier that afternoon and Bilbo was not at all happy about it.

He had held his tongue at dinner, only giving Fili and Kili disapproving looks, but Thorin knew more was coming, so had planned ahead for the the hobbit's wrath.

Bilbo planted his hands on his hips, tapping his foot against the ground irritably. “Put. Him. Down.”

“No.”

“Thorin!”

“Bilbo.”

The hobbit threw his arms up in the air and stomped around his and Frodo's room. Thorin adjusted his grip on Frodo slightly as he sat down in one of the many overstuffed armchairs in front of the fire, the faunt snuffling slightly into Thorin's chest, but otherwise sleeping on happily.

“Bilbo, it's fine. Why are you so worked up over this?”

Bilbo turned around, his anger clearly visible on his face. “Because he is _four_ years old Thorin! He has absolutely no reason to be training at his age!”

Thorin shook his head. “They weren't training him Bilbo. They told you that. Frodo simply wanted to try and they let him.”

“Kili was telling him how to do it!” Bilbo pointed out.

“How else was he supposed to educate Frodo on it?”

“Kili shouldn't be educating him on it at all!” He groaned and put his face in his hand. “I agreed to let you start training him when was ten years old, but I refuse to let him begin his training a moment before then.”

“You know Fili and Kili would never deliberately go against your wishes Bilbo. They had no intention of training him. You know better than anyone how curious Frodo is and how much easier it is to show or let him do something rather than flat out deny him. Kili was with him the entire time.”

Bilbo snatched up one of Frodo's toys from the ground. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Thorin frowned, not liking Bilbo's tone. “ _Yes_ , it should.. Kili is an excellent instructor. On his off days, he spends his time training the new archers and he takes great pride in it. He occasionally assists Dwalin's men in training the dwarflings as well. I'm sure Kili would be insulted if he knew you thought he couldn't keep Frodo safe.”

Bilbo dumped the toys into a small chest and gave Thorin a dirty look. “I _never_ said that Thorin.”

“You're _implying_ it Bilbo.”

“I would never do such a thing.”

Thorin took a deep breath. “Bilbo, you're implying it when you doubt his abilities to simply let Frodo try his bow. He wasn't training him and you _know_ that. So instead of being angry at Fili and Kili for letting them let Frodo have fun, why don't you tell me what's really bothering you?”

Frodo yanked on his braids in his sleep and Thorin gently ran his hand down the faunts back, soothing him back into his deep sleep.

Bilbo watched them both for a moment, saying nothing as he turned away and continued cleaning up their room.

“Bilbo, talk to me.”

The hobbit continued to ignore him and kept cleaning.

“Dìs told me about your journey here. You refused to let Frodo touch any weapon, which I can understand. He may be four years old, but he isn't an irresponsible child. Nor is he reckless like my nephews were at his age. He's crossed the entirety of Middle-Earth and he's going to be curious about it. He's going to be curious about the things around him, which include our weapons whether you like it or not.”

He paused, waiting to see if Bilbo would say something. Bilbo continued to ignore him though.

“Children are highly valued in our society because they are so rare. A child would never be maliciously or intentionally harmed in this mountain. They are protected at all costs.”

Bilbo picked up a waistcoat from the clean pile of clothes at the end of his bed, needlessly refolding it and wiping away invisible wrinkles.

“Bilbo, please.”

He refused to acknowledge Thorin and he had had enough of the hobbit ignoring him.

“Bilbo talk to me. I'm not a child, you don't get to ignore me simply because I disagree with you.”

“Then listen to reason!” Bilbo hissed.

“No, you listen to me! I'm _trying_ to tell you why Fili and Kili allowed him to use Kili's bow. I'm trying to help you _understand_! You have to at least meet me half-way here!”

The hobbit spun around, absolutely seething. “He is _four_ years old Thorin! He is barely a toddler! He has absolutely no business using a weapon and being around any violence! He has suffered enough in his life already, and I will not let his childhood end early because you dwarves think he needs to use a blasted weapon!”

Ahhhh, their it was.

Bilbo huffed and sat down, glaring at Thorin. He carefully loosened Frodo's tiny hand from his braids and gently handed the faunt over to Bilbo. He quickly cuddled the child close to him, Frodo's hand latching onto Bilbo's suspenders.

“He deserves to have a child-hood. A good child-hood. A peaceful one. He's to young for this.”

Thorin nodded as he sat back in his chair. “I understand that Bilbo, more than you know.”

Bilbo huffed as he ran his free hand through Frodo's soft curls. “I doubt that.”

He cocked an eyebrow at Bilbo. “Do you so easily forget that I'm an Uncle as well? Or do you just doubt my parenting skills?”

Bilbo refused to look at him, clearly realizing he had made an error.

“Kili started training when he was five years old,” Thorin explained. “Fili was due to start his training, but refused to do so without his brother. They both spend weeks pleading before Vili and Dìs agreed to let them begin training together and another two weeks before the lads could convince me and Dwalin to train them.”

“Vili?” Bilbo questioned.

“The lads father. He was adamant that they both start training at the proper age, but Fili would hear none of it. Vili had the same fears you have.”

“Where is he now?” Bilbo asked. “Perhaps he could make you see reason.”

“Dead,” Thorin replied shortly. “For nearly sixty years.”

Bilbo grimaced, his glare slowly melting away. “Oh. I'm sorry.”

Thorin nodded. “Accepted. Just don't ever mention him to the lads.”

“Why?”

“That's their business, which they will tell you when they are ready.”

Bilbo nodded, sitting back in his armchair. They were both quiet for a few moments, before Bilbo nervously broke the silence between them. “So, why did you agree?”

“Because Fili was determined. He spent weeks talking with Balin, learning how to make us see reason, as he called it at the time.”

“Who trained them?”

“Myself, Dwalin, Vili and Dìs all did.”

Bilbo looked disappointed; he must have thought he might find an ally in Dìs. “Why did she agree?”

“Because she eventually had to agree with Fili that their was no safer place than with the four of us, which meant that Kili would come to no harm during his training.”

“So she just let him pick up a bow and arrow at the age of five?”

Thorin nodded. “Aye. Vili was an archer as well. It wasn't his primary weapon, but he did have some skill in it. Kili demanded that be the first thing he was taught to do, so he did what Kili did today. Showing him, guiding him, instructing him, but with no real training behind it. What we did for Kili back then was for show. He was given lighter practice weapons and we were less strict with him. Fili eventually caught on and Kili did a few years later, but Fili knew why we were doing it, so he never argued against it during that time.”

Frodo snuffled again, rubbing his nose against Bilbo's shirt.

“Bilbo please understand that Kili was not trying to train Frodo in anyway. He was just having fun with him. Frodo will _never_ be able to pull the string on Kili's bow. His bow requires over _eighty_ pounds of strength to pull. Frodo will be lucky if he can ever pull one half that.”

Bilbo gave him another dirty look, looking ready to protest, but Thorin quickly cut him off.

“Don't give me that look. You hobbits are built different that dwarves. Your skill isn't in strength, it's in speed. Now back to my point. Even if Frodo ever got a hold of Kili's bow, he would never be able to fire it, so he could never harm himself or anyone else. Kili was in control of the bow the entire time, but was letting Frodo think he was in control. Surely you can relate to that? It's the same when you let him cook with you. He thinks he's in control, when in reality you are.”

“I still don't like it Thorin,” Bilbo said, trying to desperately find a way to convince Thorin to side with him.

“I know Bilbo. They won't let him do it again if you don't like it, but think about Frodo.”

Bilbo gave him a challenging look. “Think about what exactly? How he's _my_ nephew? I don't want him setting foot in the training grounds again.”

Thorin challenged him right back. “Think about how _happy_ he was Bilbo. You are the only two hobbits in this Mountain. Probably the only two in all of Middle-Earth that don't reside within fifteen miles of The Shire. He's alone here, with no friends his age. He spends his days with us, grown adults.” Bilbo looked down to Frodo, holding the faunt tighter. “We love him Bilbo, we do, but he needs friends closer in age to him. He'll find those on the training grounds. You can't take that away from him.”

Bilbo stood up abruptly and stormed to Frodo's room. “He is _my_ nephew Thorin. Don't tell me how to raise him!”

Thorin scrambled out of his seat and ran after him. “Bilbo!” He managed to avoid the door Bilbo tried to slam shut against him, sliding in as Bilbo glared at him. “I'm not trying to tell you how to raise Frodo! I'm trying to help you!”

“Then stop telling me how to raise Frodo!”

“I'm not!”

“I'm fairly certain that you telling me that I can't take something from him counts as you trying to tell me how to raise him!”  
Thorin reached out and placed his hands on Bilbo's shoulders. “I promise you, I'm not trying to tell you how to raise Frodo! I just want to help you, that's all! I'm sorry if what I said angered you, but you know that wasn't my intention.”

Bilbo took a deep breath, his face more confused than angry now.

“You're a new parent to a faunt Bilbo. I know you're terrified of messing this up but you aren't going to. You want what's best for him. We want that to. _You're_ going to make mistakes. _We're_ going to make mistakes. But so long as he is happy, then it is all worth it. That I can promise you.”

He gently bumped his forehead against Bilbo's, finally getting a small smile out of the hobbit. “If you don't want him using the bow again, tell Fili and Kili. They will respect your decision and will not go against your wishes. But please don't stop Frodo from going to the training grounds.”

Bilbo nodded, letting out a deep breath. “I can't lose him Thorin,” he whispered quietly. “I can't see him get hurt. I won't be able to live with myself.”

Thorin nodded as he carefully pulled Bilbo into his arms, mindful of the sleeping faunt in his arms. “I know Bilbo.” They stood like that for a long while, Thorin watching Frodo and Bilbo with a fond smile.

Bilbo took a deep breath and looked up at Thorin. “He can use Kili's bow, but only with Kili. No one else until he's ten. _Absolutely_ no swords or axes.”

Thorin nodded in agreement. “Let them know tomorrow at breakfast.”

Bilbo nodded, gently pulling away from Thorin. He pouted slightly, but smiled as he watched Bilbo tenderly put Frodo in the faunts enormous bed, placing a stuffed dragon into Frodo's arms as he pulled the soft covers up and tucked him in.

They quietly walked out, Bilbo leaving the door propped open slightly. They once again settled into the armchairs, Bilbo pulling out his pipe and lighting it.

“You're doing fine Bilbo,” Thorin reassured him with a fond smile. “Really, you are.”

Bilbo looked at him, uncertainty written all over his face.

“You'll raise him well. Just wait and eventually you'll see it.”

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Zara groaned loudly as she flopped down onto her bed. Their wasn't a part on her body that wasn't aching right now. She'd spent close to eighteen hours that day getting rocks and sand into the doomed mines, desperate to get the job done before disaster struck. The only reason she wasn't still down helping was because Bofur had physically dragged her from the site and insisted she get some rest.

“You're no use to us if you're dead lassie. Get some rest and come back in the mornin'. My men and I can keep going for a while longer.”

She had tried to protest, but Bofur was having absolutely none of it, threatening to post Bifur at her door if she tried to rejoin them before dawn.

She yawned widely and begrudgingly admitted to herself that _maybe_ Bofur was right, but still! They were so close to being finished. Another day or two at the most and the mines would be forever sealed. She yawned again, sleep calling to her more and more, but she forced herself to get back out of bed, her muscles loudly protesting as she pulled off her grimy clothes and pulled on a robe.

She wanted sleep, but she needed to be clean first. Her skin was covered in a mixture of sweat, dirt, and in some spots blood. Her hair was just as nasty. At this hour, she was practically guaranteed privacy in the hot baths, which was exactly what she wanted right now.

She quietly left her room and entered the steaming baths, shrugging out of her robe and idly tossing it onto a nearby bench. She grabbed some towels, laying them near the edge of the pool and she slid in without another thought.

She couldn't stop the satisfying moan that escaped her lips as the hot water began to soothe her aching muscles, making the pain a little more tolerable.

“Zara?”

To her dying day she would deny that she screamed.

“What the blazes are you yelling for?” Fili asked as he rubbed at his poor ears.

“Don't sneak up on me like that!”

“I didn't sneak up on you!”

“You didn't announce yourself!”

“I didn't think I had to!”

Zara groaned as she wiped at her face. “What are you doing here this late?”

He raised his eyebrows and gave her a dry look. “Practicing my penmanship. How about you? Just catching up on your favorite book?”

“I will drown you.”

Fili scoffed, resting his arms behind his head as he leaned against the edge of the pool. “You'll have to come up with a better threat than that. Kili threatens me with that daily.”

She splashed some water at him, deciding to ignore him for the time being. She carefully began to pull apart her braids, grimacing at all the grit she could feel in the strands. She dropped the beads into one of the many small dishes at the edge of the pool and finished undoing most of her braids.

“So you're just going to ignore me now?” Fili asked with a little laugh.

She continued to ignore him, yanking on particularly hard knot that she couldn't seem to get out.

Fili moved to sit beside her, so she simply turned around and continued trying to get the knots out of her hair. This one was being stubborn though and she couldn't seem to get it out.

“If I offer to help will you talk to me?”

Her fingers paused in their work as she thought for a moment and she already knew Fili was grinning behind her. Blast him and playing on her few weaknesses. She let out a heavy sigh and handed over the comb. He quickly moved to sit in front of her again, gently taking her hair and starting to work on the knots. Fili worked silently for a few minutes, eventually able to get the knot out and placing the comb on the edge of the pool.

She gave him a small smile as she dunked her hair under the water, loosening the grime that it had accumulated over the day.

“What did Bofur have to do to get you to leave the site?” Fili asked as Zara poured some soap into her hand.

“He dragged me away,” she said with a small huff. “He said I needed to get some sleep.”

Of course at that moment she had to yawn once more.

Fili smirked at her as he crossed his arms.

“Shut up.”

He held in hands up in surrender and sat back once more. “He's not wrong. You've had what? A handful of hours of sleep all week? You'll run yourself ragged and then you'll be of no use.” He moved back a bit and she automatically began to suspect something. “I've got Bifur and Bombur rangling Bofur back home right now. He needs sleep just as much as you do.”

“So this was your doing?” Zara asked, torn between being relieved at someone making her get some rest and annoyance at someone dragging her away from her important work.

He nodded. “You both need the rest. I managed to convince him and then I went to Bifur and Bombur, who were more than willing to help. If anything happens to you two, this entire project will fail. If you won't take care of yourselves, then we will.”

She splashed some more water at him, but it was half-hearted. “Next time, why don't you just tell me that in the first place instead of making some elaborate plan?”

He raised his eyebrow at her. “Would you have listened?”

She thought for a moment and then shrugged. “Probably not.”

“Exactly.”

He watched as she filled up a vase with water, awkwardly dumping it over her hair to try and rinse it. With her exhaustion becoming more evident in the warm waters, her movements were now more sluggish and less coordinated. She missed half her head the first time, but she really couldn't be bothered to care. She was tired. So she dumped the water on her head a few more times, before she felt Fili gently take the vase from her.

“Let me help.”

She nodded tiredly, a yawn once again escaping her lips. She sensed Fili move behind her, as the warm water once again made it's way down her hair. She closed her eyes so the water wouldn't run into them, biting her lip as Fili's fingers gently kneaded at her scalp, loosening the last of the dirt in her hair. The water around them was probably filthy, but it would clear away in a matter of minutes thanks to how the water moved through out the mountain.

Fili kept rinsing her hair until the water ran clean and she was only awake by sheer willpower. She blindly reached for one of the towels as she dragged herself out of the soothing water to sit on the edge of the pool.

“Why are you here so late?” Zara asked once again as she dried her hair.

Fili shrugged slightly as he to grabbed a towel. “My back was hurting a bit. The water helps so I figured I'd spend some time here.”

Satisfied her hair was dry enough to sleep with, she started to towel off the rest of her body. She pointedly looked at him. “How is it feeling now? I thought Oin had just released you for training?”

He pulled himself out of the pool and began to dry himself off as well. “It's better. Usually it's more of an annoying ache that an actual hurt, but it's enough to prevent me from falling asleep.”

She wrapped the towel around her as she stood up, gathering her beads and going to deposit them in in the pocket of her robe. “I'm sorry if I disturbed you,” she murmured quietly.

Fili shook his head as he took her robe out of her hands and held it open for her. She chucked the towel towards the bin and slipped her arms into it, tying the sash as she turned back around to face him.

“You didn't bother me at all. I always enjoy your company.”

She gave him a dry look, not believing him for a second. He laughed softly, brushing some stray hairs out her face. “Don't give me that look.”

“Then don't say things that aren't true,” she retorted.

“Would I ever lie to you?” He asked innocently, his wide grin giving him away.

“Yes you would,” she replied with a laugh.

Zara brought up her hand to cover yet another one of her yawns, swaying slightly on her feet as her exhaustion began to win out.

Fili cautiously put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her gently to lean against his side as he slowly began to lead her out of the baths. She mumbled something under her breath about not needing his help to walk, but she only leaned more into his side so he ignored her protests.

It was an easy task to get Zara to her room, quietly pushing open the door and laying her down on her bed. Zara grumbled slightly as she curled up, silently deciding that was not leaving her bed until the morning, but would never admit to Bofur or Fili about being right. She wasn't dressed for bed and she knew her hair would be a right rats nest in the morning if she didn't put it into a sleep braid for the night, but she couldn't have cared less at the moment. Her bed had never been softer and the sheets had never been warmer.

Her eyes closed as she felt the sheets and blankets being pulled over her, a small smile making it's way to her lips as she heard Fili blow out the few lit candles in her room. A warm weight settled on the edge of her bed, Fili gently running his hand over her hair.

“Get some sleep Zara,” he softly whispered, gently brushing his lips against her forehead as she finally succumbed to sleep.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a Kili/Tauriel chapter, but Frodo said no to that. So instead you get Bilbo and Thorin.

Tauriel silently seethed to herself as Kili pulled off his shirt and threw it aside, once more picking up a large piece of rubble and tossing it into the mine.

She was enjoying the view, but she was _not_ enjoying how every dwarrowdam in Erebor had shown up and was now eyeing him up. She fingered one of her daggers, wondering how angry Dwalin would be if she threw one of them.

It wasn't just blatant disrespect towards her, but it was disrespectful to Kili as well. Even if they weren't courting, it was Erebor's worst kept secret that Kili had found his One in an elf. The harpies watched Kili hungrily, their eyes focusing on his slicked muscles. Kili of course was completely oblivious to them, too focused on trying to out throw Bofur's rocks.

Tauriel growled as the harpies moved closer to Kili, working one of her daggers free of it's sheath. She tossed it idly in her hands, deliberately making eye contact with what looked like the head harpy. The dam gave her a nasty look, which Tauriel returned with a evil smile. Two could play at this game, and Tauriel already knew who was going to win.

She approached Kili, unbuckling her weapons from around her waist and pulling off her outer coats as well. Wearing just her undershirt, she easily tied her hair back and picked up a rock. While she didn't have the strength of dwarves, she was by no means weak. She walked past Kili, shooting the harpies a smug smile when Kili's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull, and threw the rock down the shaft.

She turned back to face Kili, who grinned at her as he picked up another rock.

Fili laughed quietly to himself as he watched Tauriel, knowing just how much she was infuriating the dams who thought they could charm his brother. As if.

Leaving the balcony that overlooked the entrance to the mine he looked over to where Zara was directing more holes to be drilled into the ground above the mines so they could dump sand down them. It was a tedious process, since they had to go slowly or else the mines might collapse in on them selves. They had less than fifty feet to go and then they could seal it with the gold. The guides had already been carved into the floor, the great forges lit and every one of them hotter than dragon-fire. On Bofur's signal, they would release the gold, allowing it to flow down and seal the mine permanently.

Every able bodied dwarrow in Erebor was currently helping. Dwalin and Thorin were helping to cart more rubble to the area, Bilbo smiling appreciatively at the shirt-less king. Dís wasn't far off, directing everyone on where they needed to be and where everything needed to go.

Fili was stuck on babysitting duty again. Oin had threatened him with bedrest or worse if he caught Fili even thinking about moving one of the rocks. He wasn't even allowed to help pour sand! So he was watching Frodo, who was being surprisingly well behaved for how little attention he was currently getting.

Zara wiped some sweat off her forehead, then took one of the large drills and held it steady while another dwarf began to turn the crank to drill into the rock. Frodo watched curiously for a moment, then tugged on Fili's pants. “Can I help?” he asked quietly. “Please?”

“Wait until they're done and then you can ask Zara.”

Frodo nodded, watching as the drill began to pull up small amounts of dirt. It took a good fifteen minutes before the drill finally gave, falling slightly before Zara and the dwarf pulled it back up. They moved away as three dwarves seamlessly took their place and began to funnel sand into the mines below them.

Fili grabbed two water skins, handing one each to Zara and the dwarf. They both took long gulps, draining the skins of water in a matter of seconds.

Frodo tugged on his pants again, and Fili gently pushed him forward. Zara smiled softly at Frodo as she wiped some stray water droplets from her lips.

“Can-Can I help you Lady 'Ara?” Frodo asked quietly, his hands behind his back as he rocked on his feet nervously.

Zara looked to Fili, who gave her a small smile. He honestly had no idea how Frodo could help even if she did say yes. So much of the machinery required strength that the lad didn't have, or it involved things that were far to dangerous for him.

She thought for a moment, flicking her eyes to the drill and then back to Frodo. He had been spending far to much time around Kili, learning how to use his big blue eyes to try and get his way.

She shook her head, hating to see the crestfallen look on the faunts face. “I'm sorry Frodo, but it's to dangerous. The rock here isn't stable.”

Frodo looked down at his furry feet, trying to hide his disappointment. “I won't get in the way, promise.”

Zara shook her head as she knelt down so she could be eye-level with Frodo. “It's not that you'll be in the way little one, it's that I don't want you to get hurt.”

He stomped his foot on the ground. “The rock is fine.”

She shook her head again. “No, it's not. You can't see it, but there are cracks running all through this ground right now. That's why we're filling up the mines, so that they don't collapse. It's the worst where me and the others are working. If the rock was to suddenly give way, we would all be in danger of falling into the mines and rocks might land on us and they would hurt us.”

Frodo was still frowning, crossing his arms and refusing to look at her. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do. She felt like she was only making things worse. Zara looked to Fili desperately, silently pleading for help.

Fili put his hand on Frodo's shoulder, gently squeezing it as he knelt down as well. “Zara wants you to stay safe Frodo. I know you don't like it, but you have to listen to her.”

Frodo nodded, running his sleeve across his face before he looked up to Zara. “Okay.” He sniffled slightly.

Zara brushed her hand through his curls. “Hey, hey no pouting. Just behave and listen to Fili. We'll be done soon.”

Frodo nodded, holding out his arms to Fili, who smiled as he picked up the faunt as he stood back up. Zara stood up as well, once more picking up the drill and resuming her work. Frodo let out a little yawn, sticking his thumb in his mouth as he let his head rest on Fili's shoulder. Holding the faunt carefully, soon Frodo was sound asleep in his arms, despite all the excitement.

Bilbo appeared soon enough to check on Frodo, smiling softly as he watched his sleeping nephew.

“Is he giving you much trouble?” he asked between gulps of water from a skin.

Fili shook his head as he lightly bounced Frodo. “No more than usual. He fell asleep about twenty minutes ago.”

The older hobbit nodded. “Good. He needs his nap, or he becomes a right terror at the end of the night.”

Fili laughed quietly. “He wanted to help Zara, but she said no. It's to dangerous for him.”

Bilbo nodded in approval. “I don't want him anywhere near where they are working. To many things can go wrong right now.”

“We know Bilbo,” Fili replied with a smile. “He won't get hurt.”

Thorin walked over, taking the water skin out of Bilbo's hands and dumping it over his head. It took everything Fili had to not burst out laughing at how Bilbo's eyes bugged out of his skull as the hobbit watched the water drip down Thorin's torse.

“Hey Bilbo?”

“Huh?”

“Will you make me chocolate cheesecake everyday for the next month?”

Bilbo's eyes were still focused on Thorin, not even paying attention to what Fili was saying. “Sure.”

“With whip cream?”

“Huh?”

Thorin rolled his eyes at his nephew. “Behave.”

“I'm more worried about Bilbo behaving right now.”

Bilbo finally managed to shake himself out of his stupor, blushing furiously as he glared at Fili.

“Don't you have something better to do?”

“Nope, but I think you have a cheesecake to be making.”

Bilbo put his hands on his hips, tapping his foot irritably against the rock floor.

“What?” Fili asked innocently, grinning widely at Bilbo.

Thorin smiled and tugged Bilbo into his chest, placing a kiss to the top of the hobbit's head. “Never mind him, he's just thinks he's being funny.”

“I'm hilarious,” Fili retorted.

“We're done!”

All of their heads turned as they looked over to Bofur. He was covered in grit, but was grinning proudly. We've got the last of the rubble in!”

“Ten more minutes and we'll be done up here,” Zara shouted back.

Frodo grumbled as he cracked open an eye, glaring at everyone for interrupting his nap.

“Tell the forges to get ready,” Thorin ordered and a nearby miner ran off to alert them. Thorin turned his attention back to Bofur. “I want everyone who isn't you and Zara away from the mines.”

Bofur nodded and walked away, barking out orders as he went.

Frodo starting squirming, cranky about his interrupted nap. Thorin gently took him from Fili, bouncing him lightly. “We're almost done here little one.”

Frodo grumbled some more, one of his tiny fists latching onto one of Thorin's free hanging braids.

“Would you like to give the signal?” He asked the faunt, wondering if that bring Frodo out of his bad mood.

Frodo went from sleepy to wide awake faster than he had ever seen. “Yeah!”

Thorin smiled, walking over to the balcony. Kili and Tauriel joined them, panting heavily as they tried to regain their breath. Bilbo wordlessly handed them each a water skin, ordering them to take small sips. They both nodded, leaning heavily on the wall,

Fili watched as Zara ran from miner to miner, checking the levels of the sand. The last miner nodded as he pulled his bag away, the sand having finally reached the top of the mine.

“We're set Your Majesty!”

Thorin motioned for her and Bofur over to him. “How will we know when the mine is full?”

“When it overflows from the entrance,” Zara answered.

“We'll start filling it from the back and the gold will eventually fill to the front. The main entrance has been sealed with the largest pieces of rubble and rock we have, with quick drying cement in the cracks. It will hold up against the gold,” Bofur added on. “It will take a few hours to completely solidify, but this will stabilize the mine permanently.”

Thorin nodded. “Excellent. Are you ready Frodo?”

He quickly nodded. “What's the signal?”

“Our battle cry.”

Frodo gave Thorin a dry look. “I don't know dwarvish.”

“Khuzdul,” Thorin corrected. He pointed up, towards the upper level where the forges were located. “I want you to yell out 'Du Bekar” as loud as you can.”

Frodo nodded and scrambled up onto Thorin's shoulders. He gripped Frodo's ankles tightly, firmly holding him in place as the faunt cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out “DU BEKAR!”

The rest of the dwarves all yelled out as well, the cry echoing all through out Erebor, followed by the loud pounding drum. From above them, they could hear the great gates of the forges being opened, Frodo jumping out of Thorin's grip. They all watched as the gold began to stream down to them, aiming for the large holes they had dung into the top of the mine.

Frodo ran up before any of the adults could catch him, kneeling beside one of the streams and watching it with fascination. He started to reach out, wondering what it would feel like. He could feel the gold radiating the heat, but it wasn't anything unbearable. Just as his fingers touched it, Zara snatched him away, pulling him up into her arms as he shrieked in pain.

“Owwwww!”

Tears began to roll down his face as he cried into her tunic, ignoring the fussing of everyone around him. He clutched his hand tightly to his chest, stubbornly refusing to let anyone look at it.

“Frodo, let us look at it,” Bilbo pleaded with him, tugging on the faunts hand gently. Frodo shook his head, only crying harder into Zara's tunic.

“We need to get him to Oin,” Thorin said loudly. “Fili, Kili, stay with Bofur. Zara, come with me and Bilbo.”

Frodo continued to cry, refusing to let go of Zara as they quickly walked through the halls to the healers wing. The old healer looked up, concern flashing across his face as he took in the crying faunt.

“What happened?” He demanded to know as he approached them.

“He touched the molten gold,” Zara quickly explained. “I grabbed him before he could submerge his hand, but his finger tips touched it.”

Oin nodded, trying to pry Frodo's hand away from where he had it hidden. “Lad, can you let me see it? I'm going to try and fix it.”

Frodo's tears didn't stop, but he reluctantly allowed Oin to pull his hand out. The healer winced as he took in Frodo's burnt finger tips. They had already blistered, the surrounding skin an angry red. Taking one look at Frodo's face, he knew he would never be able to treat the lad if he was conscious. Still holding Frodo's hand carefully in he his, he barked for one of his assistants to bring him a pain tonic.

Grabbing a bottle off the shelf, the assistant quickly poured some into a cup and handed it to Oin. “Drink this lad. It'll take the pain away.”

Frodo turned his face away and into Zara's shoulder. Bilbo took the cup from Oin, going around to try and get Frodo to look at him. “Darling, I need you to drink this for me. Please.”

Tears kept coming out of Frodo's eyes and Bilbo felt his heart break. “Frodo please. Once you drink this Oin can help you and make it stop hurting.”

Oin looked at Thorin, murmuring to him quielty. “If he won't take, we'll have to force it down his throat.” Thorin glared at him, but Oin ignored it. “Frodo will never let me treat his fingers while he's conscious, and he needs that treatment _now_ if we are to prevent his fingers from scaring.”

Thorin nodded, and gently pried Frodo out of Zara's arms. She looked at the faunt helplessly as Thorin cuddled him close.

“Frodo,” he said quietly. “We need you to drink this for us.”

Frodo shook his head stubbornly.

“Please lad, this will help you. It'll take the pain away and Oin can fix your fingers. Your Uncle Bilbo and I won't leave you alone, we promise. Just please drink this for us.”

Frodo glared at the cup for a few more seconds, but his pain eventually won out. He nodded, and Bilbo quickly held the cup to the faunts lips. “That's it sweetheart.”

Frodo grimaced at the nasty taste, but the pain began to fade away as his eyes slowly drifted close.

Oin nodded as Frodo finally passed out in Thorin's arms. “Lay him down on the table for me. I'll get this sorted as fast as I can.”

Bilbo jumped up onto the table, Thorin carefully passing him his nephew. He cradled the little boy in his arms, holding him tightly as Oin busied himself with treating the burns.

He refused to watch Oin fix his nephews wounds, instead focusing on the little lad in his arms, running his hand through the boys curls gently and quietly telling him stories.

Zara and Thorin stood back slightly, not wanting to crowd Oin as he worked. “I'm so sorry Your Majesty,” she quietly told Thorin.

He didn't look away from Frodo, but she could see the small shake of his head. “This wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone fault. He was to fast for us and far to curious. It's a hard lesson to learn, but he'll never touch anything like the gold ever again.” He briefly pulled his eyes away from Frodo and smiled at her gently. “Thank you for pulling him away My Lady.”

She returned his smile and bowed her head. “You're welcome Your Majesty.”

A small whimper escaped Frodo's lips, pulling Thorin's attention back to the sleeping faunt.

Feeling out of place, Zara quietly departed, leaving the little family alone together. It took a while, but eventually Oin was carefully wrapping up Frodo's tiny hand.

“It's going to hurt him for a few weeks, but so long as we keep it clean and use ointments to prevent infection, he'll be fine. I'll send some pain tonics up your rooms to help him through this.”

Thorin and Bilbo both nodded in unison, but Thorin knew that Bilbo had probably not been paying attention to what Oin was saying.

Bilbo carefully got off the table, rearranging Frodo slightly. Thorin wrapped his arm around Bilbo's shoulders, gently leading Bilbo out of the infirmary. Bilbo was silent the entire walk, his eyes only for Frodo as they walked through the halls.

He allowed himself to be directed into Thorin's room, the dwarf-king gently nudging him towards the bed. Bilbo sat down on it heavily, his eyes still on Frodo.

Thorin got into the massive bed, gently pulling Bilbo into the center of it and sitting behind the hobbit. He wrapped his arms around them both, his arms resting under Bilbo's as he cradled Frodo.

It was only then that he realized how badly Bilbo was shaking.

“He's okay,” he quietly whispered. “He's okay.”

Bilbo shook his head.

“He's okay, Bilbo. He's probably more scared than hurt.”

Bilbo continued to be silent.

“He's only four Bilbo. Accidents happen.” He gently squeezed Bilbo. “We knew accidents would happen. But we'll get through this. Frodo will get through this. He'll be back to running around Erebor in no time.”

Bilbo let out a shaky breath. “Maybe it's to dangerous here for him.” The words were quiet, and Thorin felt his blood freeze.

“It was an accident Bilbo,” Thorin said again. “We couldn't have stopped it.”

“This wouldn't have happened in The Shire,” Bilbo replied, his voice cracking. He didn't want to leave Erebor, but if it posed a danger to Frodo he had no choice. Frodo would _always_ come first.

“No, it wouldn't have.” Thorin couldn't deny it. Compared to The Shire, Erebor was dangerous on some levels. “Please Bilbo, this won't happen again. He'll never be in the forges. The gold will never flow down those chutes again to the main levels. This was a one time thing. You know that. _Please_.”

Bilbo let out another shaky breath as Frodo stirred gently. The faunt sniffled, bringing up his good hand to wipe at his face before he settled back down.

“It's selfish of me, but please don't leave Erebor,” Thorin whispered. “Stay here. You know I love Frodo as much as you love my nephews. I would never see harm come to the three of them ever again.”

Bilbo managed to look away from Frodo to look at Thorin. “I know Thorin. I'm...I'm just scared. What if he had put his whole hand in? What if he had fallen in? What if-”

Thorin quickly cut Bilbo off. “You can't think like that. You can't think about the 'what ifs'. All it will do is tear you up inside. _Look_ at Frodo. He is going to be okay. He didn't fall in. He was just far to curious.”

Bilbo nodded and he leaned back into Frodo's chest. “I'm not saying we're leaving, Thorin. I'm not saying anything about that. I....we....we all need sleep. I know it's early, but this had exhausted us all.”

Thorin nodded and he let go of Bilbo, pulling himself away from him and moving to lay donw.

“Go wash first,” Bilbo muttered as he maneuvered himself and Frodo underneath the blankets. “You smell.”

Thorin gave Bilbo a half-hearted glare, which Bilbo just rolled his eyes at as he settled down. Thorin stomped over into the bathroom, quickly filling a basin with warm water. He stripped off his filthy clothes, throwing them into the corner carelessly before he quickly cleaned himself up.

He pulled on a pair of sleep pants and a well worn tunic as he walked out of the bathroom and climbed into bed next to Bilbo. Frodo was curled up against Bilbo's side, his injured hand lying on top of the covers. Bilbo had an arm wrapped around him protectively, his breathing already deep and even. Thorin curled up next to them, throwing his arm over the both of them. Neither of them moved, but a small smile worked it's way onto Bilbo's face as he continued to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm moving to my first apartment on Friday and I've having my internet set up on Saturday. I don't know if I'll have another chapter up by then, but I will try.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I moved to my first apartment the first week of the month and ever since I've been trying to get everything in order so it's been a little chaotic.

Tauriel ignored Kili's smirk as she sank into the warm water beside him. After yet another day of pestering her, she had finally given in and agreed to join him and his family in the baths. Fili was in the larger pool, his Uncle and Dwalin watching him as he did some stretching exercises. Dis was sitting across him them, brushing out her long dark hair with a fine tooth comb. She gave Tauriel a warm smile and nodded her head towards the pools edge.

“Help yourself to whatever you want Tauriel,” she said kindly. “Hopefully elven hair is more manageable than dwarven hair. All I did was sit in meetings today and it's still tangled beyond belief.”

Tauriel smiled as she reached for a soap bottle. “Thank you my lady.” She poured a small amount into her hand and slowly began to work it through her long strands. “Though I fear my hair will be just as bad as yours.”

Kili passed her a comb as he shook his head, water droplets flying everywhere. She flicked some water at him in return, a smirk on her face as it him square in the face.

All three of them sat in the pool quietly as they worked on cleaning themselves. Tauriel had been happy to discover that different seats sat at different depths, so she was able to sit almost fully submerged, the water coming to rest just above her breasts. The dwarves might think it silly, but she was still determined to protect some of her modesty.

“Chicken fight!”

Unlike the dwarf next to her who leapt out of the pool at Dwalin's call and jumped on his Uncle, both of them going down in large splash. Dis grinned as she heaved herself out of the smaller pool as well and scooted to sit on the edge of the larger pool.

She looked over her shoulder at Tauriel and beckoned her over. “You won't want to miss this Tauriel.”

She smiled as she moved to sit in the water near Dís, not fully comfortable with sitting fully nude outside the water. The dwarven Princess moved over slightly so that Tauriel could watch the oncoming shenanigans.

Thorin glared at his youngest nephew as he finally managed to get out from under the water, Kili laughing at his waterlogged Uncle.

“Fili, don't even think of letting your brother sit on your shoulders. Oin still hasn't cleared you,” Dís reminded her oldest son with a pointed look.

Fili grumbled but nodded in agreement, instead clamoring up to sit on Dwalin's shoulders as Thorin tossed Kili up in the air. Thorin smiled smugly as Kili fell back down into the pool with a loud yell. 

“Try not to crack open his skull Thorin,” Dís commented with a roll of her eyes.

Thorin laughed as Kili swam back up to him, hoisting the lad out of the water and onto his shoulders.

“Wouldn't dream of it sister.”

“The usual?” Dís asked with a smirk.

Thorin and Dwalin nodded, moving to face each other with viscous grins.

“Wait,” Fili asked worriedly, “What's the....SHIT!”

Thorin and Dwalin collided with each other, Fili and Kili hanging on for dear life as the older dwarves tried to knock each other off balance.

“Is it always like this?” Tauriel asked with a smile.

Dís nodded, her eyes filled with laugher. “Ever since we were children. I was only ten when the dragon came, but before then Thorin and Frerin would fight against Balin and Dwalin. Occasionally I was allowed to fight as well.”

With a loud squawk, Thorin and Kili went down in a massive wave of water and dark hair.

Dwalin was laughing while Fili was still trying to hold on for dear life. “Now that's how it's done lad.” He looked up at the wet cat atop him. “Thanks for all the help. You really outdid yourself there.”

Fili glared down at Dwalin. “You didn't tell us you were going to go at each other like battering rams!”

Dwalin rolled his eyes and then tossed Fili off his shoulders. “You need to pay more attention then lad.”

All three sons of Durin emerged from the water coughing and sputtering, trying to get their tangled hair out of their faces.

Dís and Taruiel both burst into laughter, ignoring the glares being shot at them by the Durins. It was just to priceless.

“What have I missed?”

Tauriel looked over her shoulder to smile at Bilbo as he joined them in the pool.

“Chicken fights,” she answered. “Dwalin won the first match.”

“Who was he fighting with?”

“Define 'fighting'.”

Bilbo gave her a confused look and she laughed again. “Fili wasn't much help. He mainly just tried to hold on.”

Both lads grumbled as Thorin and Dwalin once more hoisted them onto their shoulders. “Try to be of some use now lads,” Dís instructed with a grin.

Once more they got into position, and at some unspoken command Thorin and Dwalin once more rammed into each other. Fili and Kili quickly went against each other, yelling and cursing at each other and their mounts.

Bilbo laughed as he watched the proceedings, more than appreciating all of Thorin's muscles being on full display for him to oogle.

“Where's Frodo?” Tauriel asked curiously. It was unusual for Frodo to not be with his hobbit Uncle; the faunt being almost overly attached to his one remaining family member, but no one could fault him for it though.

“He's in our room sleeping,” Bilbo replied. “While his hand is healing Oin doesn't want him in the baths, since he knows Frodo won't keep his injured one dry. I told him some stories and he fell asleep easily enough.”

“You're not afraid he'll wake up?”

The hobbit shook his head. “He's a deep sleeper. He's got pillows surrounding him, so he'll sleep through the rest of the night unless we really put effort into waking him up.”

Tauriel nodded in understanding. “How is his hand healing?”

“Well enough. It's still hurting him, and of course he hates wearing the bandages on his hand, since he can't shoot off Kili's arrows or play with his toy swords the way he wants to.” Bilbo let out a sigh. “It's a tough lesson to learn, but now he knows not to touch hot things.”

Dís nodded in agreement. “He knows better now and he won't do it again.”

Bilbo rolled his eyes. “With how much Thorin is spoiling him, he just might. Little brat bats his big blue eyes and Thorin comes running.”

Taruiel snorted loudly, distracting Kili from what he was doing, allowing Fili the chance to land a solid blow against his brothers chest, knocking him off balance.

All of them laughed as Dís declared Fili and Dwalin the winners once again.

“You're losing your touch brother,” she teased as Thorin glared at his best friend. “You used to be undefeated.”

Dwalin threw his head back and roared with laughter as Thorin turned to glare at her now.

“What?” She asked innocently. “Can't keep up anymore?”

Bilbo smirked as he glanced at Thorin. “He certainly can in other areas.”

Fili and Kili shared identical looks of horror while Thorin puffed out his chest proudly.

“To bad he can't perform here anymore,” she replied. “Old age gotten the best of you brother?”

“Don't you have someone else to be harassing?” Thorin asked with a growl.

“Not currently.”

He rolled his eyes and glared at Dwalin. “All right, no holding back this time.”

“That was you holding back? I thought that was your full strength.”

“Shove it!”

Dwalin laughed as Thorin once again ran at him, Kili tackling with his brother once more.

All three of them watched for a few minutes, grinning as it quickly became evident that both dwarves were equally matched, as neither could gain ground.

“Want to see a neat trick?” Dís asked Tauriel with a conspiring smile.

She nodded in response.

Dís straightened her back, pushing her breasts out slightly, and adopted quite possibly the most innocent yet enticing face Tauriel had ever seen, that for a brief second she questioned her own tastes.

“Dwalin?” Dís called out.

Dwalin immediately looked to Dis, completely losing his focus as he took her in and his mind went to other, much baser thoughts.

“AMAD!” Kili yelled out, covering his eyes.

“Dwalin!” Fili yelled out as Thorin rammed into his friend, knocking them both backwards and under the water.

Bilbo laughed while Thorin smiled triumphantly. “Now I understand how you were undefeated. You relied on Dís to distract Dwalin.”

Thorin's smile quickly turned to a frown, sulking as he joined Bilbo in the pool and sat in the corner. The hobbit smiled at him as he tried to get Thorin to stop pouting as he undid the dwarves braids and began washing his hair. Thorin pointedly ignored him, willing himself to keep sulking.

Dwalin sputtered as he surfaced, swimming over to Dís and wrapping his arms around her waist and cuddling her close as he muttered into her stomach. She laughed quietly and petted his head while he grumbled some nonsensical words, although she did catch the words “Thorin” “ass” and “cheater”.

She smirked as she looked at Tauriel out of the corner of her eye. “Works every time.”

“Can you please not ever do that again?” Fili begged his mother as he hoisted himself out of the pool.

“Yeah there are some things that your sons _never_ need to see.” Kili added as he continued to rub at his eyes, desperately trying to erase the image of his mother seducing Dwalin from his eyes. He blindly pulled himself out of the pool, dragging himself over to the smaller one and falling back into it.

Tauriel grinned as Kili sat beside her, still scrubbing at his eyes since the image refused to fade. He was going to die with that image still in his head.

“It's my right to traumatize you both,” Dís stated. She pointed to Fili and Kili respectively. “I endured a year of _you_ doing summersaults in my stomach and giving me morning sickness everyday and a year of _you_ sitting on my bladder and kickboxing with it.”

“We weren't that bad,” Fili muttered.

“Excuse me?” she retorted. “Have you ever been pregnant? No. I didn't think so.”

“Thank Mahal I'll never carry a child,” Kili muttered.

“You best respect the women who chooses to give birth to your babies,” Dwalin told him.

Tauriel sank down into the water, not wanting to be involved in this conversation at all.

“I'm seventy eight, children aren't even on my mind right now,” he answered with a roll of his eyes. “And I was raised to always respect a woman.”

“I know exactly how you were raised lad,” Dwalin reminded him.

“I feel bad for the poor woman who has his children,” Thorin said. “Can you imagine miniature versions of Kili running around?”

“I'll have to have the entire guard chasing them down,” Dwalin said with a groan.

Kili groaned as he sank down in the water next to Tauriel, both of them refusing to look at each other. She could feel the heat flooding her face as they discussed how terrifying Kili's son's would be.

“I'm _so_ sorry,” Kili whispered to her. “I swear they are doing this just to embarrass me.”

Tauriel nodded in acceptance. They both tried to ignore the conversation around them which soon turned to the others all placing bids on what Kili's future sons would do.

Against her better judgement Tauriel quietly asked, “Why do they only say your sons? What if you have a daughter?”

“Only a third of our race is female,” he explained. “Amad was the first daughter born to the Line of Durin in five generations. Any children I have will most likely be sons and it's practically unheard of for a girl to be a firstborn.”

“That's between two dwarves right?”

Kili nodded. “Aye. Dwarves rarely marry outside their race.” His eyes flicked to Bilbo and Thorin, then to her. “Until now at least.”

“So we could have daughters then,” Tauriel replied thoughtfully. “Elves are fairly even when it comes to males and females.”

“We?” Kili asked with a smile. “So you'll consider marrying me?”

“I was being hypothetical,” she quickly said, feeling her face flush with even more heat.

“Hypothetically would you marry me?”

She glared at him out of the corner of her eyes. “I am _not_ having this conversation with your entire family sitting around us.”

“It's just a hypothetical question.”

“I'm still not having this conversation here.”

He held up in hands in surrender. “Okay fine. Relax. So would you consider courting me?”

“Didn't I just say I'm not having this conversation here?”

Kili shook his head. “No, you didn't want to have the marriage conversation here. Courting isn't marriage.”

“Close enough. Not having that conversation here either.”

“Okay, okay.”

The bets continued to fly around them, Kili being a bit insulted by a few of them. His sons wouldn't be _that_ reckless.

“Why aren't they asking me about any of this?” Tauriel asked a few minutes later.

“Why would they ask you?”

She sunk down further in the water. “Don't you keep saying I'm you're One? So hypothetically, any children you had would be by me.”

Kili nodded. “Aye, you're my One. That doesn't mean they're going to just assume we'll get married and start having children.”

“But it's expected of us?”

He shrugged his shoulders slightly. “It's complicated. Fili and I are expected to have children because we know we have Ones. Plenty of dwarves don't have a One, so if you do, a family tends to get really excited and look forward to the day you have kids. It's so hard for dwarves to have children, that each one is seen as a blessing and a treasure.”

“So this is all for fun then?” She glanced around the group. “It isn't a serious conversation?”

He shook his head. “No, this is mainly joking around. A few of the bets might stick if we remember them, but that's the extent of it.”

She nodded. “Well thats a bit of a relief.”

“We'll have to have those conversations eventually you know.”

“We'll that day is not today.”

“Tomorrow?”

“No.”

Kili groaned and slumped down. “You're really stubborn, you know that?”

“That's the pot calling the kettle black.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long.   
> See the end notes for a better explanation.

Thorin _hated_ council meetings. He really did. He uselessly rubbed forehead, trying to will his pounding headache away.

“ENOUGH” he all but roared, slamming his fist down onto the stone table in front of him. The arguing lords immediately shut up, instead choosing to glare at their king. “You've done aught but argue for an hour over petty differences and it will not continue a moment longer! I simply asked how the mines were holding up, not for you to try to start an all war in this room!”

Visibly cowed, several of the Lords sat down, refusing to meet Thorins eye. Bofur was among them, taking a long swig of his ale. Thorin didn't buy it for a second. While normally jovial and charming, Bofur absolutely loved a good brawl. Said it was good for his soul. He gave the hatted miner a warning look, which Bofur rolled his eyes at and took another swig.

“Zara, put the dagger away.”

The dwarrow-dam glared at him, but sheathed her weapon as ordered.

“I will ask this one more time: How are the mines holding up? Do they need more reinforcement or will they hold up until the end of days?”

Zara snatched up her ale, glaring at the rest of the council, as if daring them to speak over her as they had when Thorin had first posed the question. When none came, she looked to Thorin. “All of the sand and stone has settled, the gold hardened and holding it it place. Bofur and I have done several surveys over the past two weeks of the area on top of the mines, and none has given us any indication that the stabilization will fail. We will continue with the surveys every month for the next year. So long as we find nothing in the next year, I see no reason why the stabilization would not hold up for the rest of eternity. Precautions should be made to ensure that no mines are dug around or underneath it, to ensure that the rock underneath does not come loose and fall out of place.”

Bofur nodded in agreement. “No mines within a hundred feet around it and no mines within two hundred feet below it should leave it perfectly safe. Might have a problem with looters though. Gold is plentiful here, but some dwarves will inevitably get greedy. Might see a way to get rich quick and illegally try to dig out the gold.”

Thorin nodded. “Nori-”

Bofur waved him off. “I've already warned 'im. He's got his little minions on it. Eyes are always on the mine, he assured me of that. Any indication of an attempt and he'll come to you or Dwalin, whoever he finds first.”

“Excellent. And the rest of the mines? Have they successfully been stabilized?”

Bofur nodded as he took another swig of his ale. “They will be by the end of the week. We pulled every man we could from stabilizing the safer mines in order to stabilize the doomed one. That was our top priority.”

“So you just left them alone?” Lord Haravi asked, his face still purple from arguing earlier.

“Do you take me for a fool?” Bofur asked lowly, raising his eyes in a direct challenge.

“I take you for many things my Lord,” Haravi replied cooly.

“Care to say that to my fists?”

“Bofur!”

Bofur settled back in his chair at Thorins command, still glaring at the dwarf sitting opposite him.

Thorin glared at Haravi. “Bofur is in command of the mines for a reason. He knows them and he puts his mens safety and Erebor's safety above _everything_ else. He never left those mines unattended. Something I knew and approved of. If you challenge his decision, then you are challenging _me_. Do you doubt your King?”

Haravi sat back, crossing his arms in a huff. “I do not doubt you are the King, but I doubt many of your decisions.”

Thorin _really_ fucking hated council meetings. He was glad that Fili and Kili were not present for this one.

“Traitor!” Bofur roared as he jumped to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye Thorin saw Zara once again unsheathe her dagger, dancing it threateningly across her fingers.

“I'm no traitor!” Haravi roared back as he to jumped to his feet. “I remain to true to the dwarves as I always have! _Him_ though!” He pointed accusingly at Thorin. “You tell _our_ deepest secrets to the Elves. Show them _our_ treasures. Make deals with the ones who _betrayed_ us after the fall. You allowed a _halfing_ of all things to steal the Arkenstone. The halfling who then gave it away to Thranduil and Bard to use _against_ you! The _halfing_ that you now let roam these halls unchallenged!”

Thorin slowly rose to his feet, his fingers going to grasp Orcrist's hilt. “You challenge my decisions. But where were you when I called for aid? You stood behind the Lord of the Blacklocks and declared my quest a suicide mission. And yet here I stand. Alive and King of Durin's folk.” He moved around the table, the remainder of the council warily watching him. He held out his hand to Zara, who wordlessly handed him her dagger.

Bofur grinned, but their was no kindness behind it.

“The hobbit you dare to insult? He is the only reason any of us are alive. The gold had no hold over him, like it did me. He did what he had to. His intentions were pure. He gave it to them, in an attempt to prevent me and my company's slaughter at the hands of the elves and the men of Laketown. He attempted many times to talk me out of my goldsickness, but I was to far gone. He did it out of desperation and I begged him for his forgiveness when I finally emerged from the gold sickness.”

“What kind of King begs for forgivness?” Haravi snarled, his eyes on the dagger in Thorins hand.

“A King who realizes when he has made a mistake, no less a mistake that would have cost each of the thirteen dwarves that followed me their lives.” Thorin growled. “He forgave me when he had no reason to. He is a dwarf-friend and we are forever in his debt. Without him, that worm Smaug would still be lounging in our treasury.”

He looked to the rest of the council, who were dead silent. “Gandalf came to me weeks later. The wizard revealed that he feared a dark power was returning to these lands once more. A power that has not been seen in an Age. A power that would have tried to recruit Smaug, encouraged that foul creature to lay waste to all the lands in the North here. Lake-Town, Mirkwood, Eregion, The Shire, all of it would have fallen to his fire, before the armies exterminated us. If Bilbo Baggins had remained in The Shire that April, we would be fighting for our lives against a power we would have no chance of defeating. Instead here we are, in Erebor, at peace. _And you dare to insult him?_ ”

Thorin twirled the dagger in his fingers as he stood before Haravi. “I have every right to take your braids, dismiss you from this council, and banish you from this mountain. The _only_ reason you were accorded a place on this council was because your grandfather was a close advisor to _my_ grandfather. A dwarf that I held in high regard for his beliefs and fairness. Clearly that was never passed on to you. I can't fault your grandfather for that, since he died protecting your father during The Fall. Your father was a coward, fleeing from Moria and returning home disgraced. You are no better than him.”

“You have two choices. Leave of your own free will or I will force you from this mountain. Go back to your clan and see if they will have you. I can take an insult to myself, for I have made many in my years. But I will not allow any insult to be made against Master Baggins.”

 

Haravi was postively seething as he glared up at his King. “The only reason you allow that halfing in our halls is because he warms your bed. He must be good, considering how ugly he is.”

Thorin saw red as he grabbed Haravi by his beard, forcing him from his chair and into kneeling on the stone floor. “ _He is my One, and you will not insult him_.”

He held the dagger to Haravi's beard. “I dismiss you from this council and banish you from Erebor forever.” He briefly glanced around him to the rest of the council. “Do you have anything to say my Lords? Or you do find his punishment suitable?”

An old dwarf, even older than Balin, rose to his feet, smoothing down his robes. Glanel. “He has no place on this council My King. He questions your authority and clearly has ill intentions toward Master Baggins, though he will not voice them. I am in agreement with your decision.”

The rest of the dwarves rose up, voicing their agreement and sealing Haravi's fate. “The council has decided.” Without another word, he sliced the traitors beard off in one go, dropping it to the ground like it had burned him.

“Guards!”

Four of Dwalin's men entered the room, weapons at the ready. “Remove this dwarf from the mountain. He is to never set foot in Erebor again, on pain of death. See it done.”

They nodded in unison, two of the guards grabbing the fallen dwarf from the ground and pulling him from the council room. The door slammed shut behind him, silencing Haravi's cursing. Thorin wordlessly handed Zara her dagger back, before sitting back down in his seat.

“He raises a valid point your Majesty.”

Thorin raised his head to glare at Glanel. “Of what?”

“Master Baggins. He voiced his thoughts on the hobbit, but he is doubtlessly the only one who feels that way in the mountain.”

The old dwarf clearly had an idea. “What do you suggest?”

“Make a public statement. It's well known that he forgave you for your actions and many of the population believe that you had no reason to forgive him when he had pure intentions. But that was done privately and it had to be spread by word of mouth. The populace has to go on what the Company and Dain told everyone. Things can be changed, words manipulated by the wrong people. A feast in his honor perhaps? An extremely public one. Where everyone could see just how much he did for Erebor. That would silence those who have doubts about him.”

Thorin nodded in agreement. “See it done Glanel. Talk with Dori and Bombur, they'll be able to set up a feast that will rival all others.”

“Of course your Majesty. This might also solve another problem that you will soon face.”

Thorin groaned. “And what problem might that be?” He took a long swig of his ale.

“The problem of marrying Master Baggins.” Thorin nearly spit out his drink.

Bofur smirked. “That would require our brave King here to first give Master Baggins a courting bead.” Zara rolled her eyes and smacked Bofur upside the head. “Oiiiii, what was that for?”

Glanel rolled his eyes. “Master Baggins is well respected for his actions, but irregardless of that, you will face some issues when you marry him. It's unheard of for a dwarven King to marry outside our race. You will be the first. By showing Erebor how much he has done and how much he means to you, will gain them their favor for the wedding, making life easier for everyone in this mountain.”

Thorin groaned again. “Meddlesome dwarves.”

Glanel chuckled as he sat down. “Aye, that we are your Majesty, but this is done with the best of intentions.”

“Not to mention it gives us something to laugh at,” Bofur helpfully added.

Zara shook her head, grabbing Bofur by his ear and dragging him out of his seat. “Please excuse us Your Majesty. I've got some idiocy to clean up.”

Thorin nodded, giving Bofur an evil smirk. “As you see fit My Lady.”

Zara dragged him from the council chamber, Bofur complaining the entire way out until the doors shut behind them.

“Back to the important matters at hand, this might also help the youngest prince. He will face the same problems you will, probably more since his One is an Elf. You marrying Master Baggins might make the shock a little less....revolutionary so to speak. I believe Kili would face an all out rebellion if he were the heir to the throne. However since Fili has found his one in Lady Zara, they will give this kingdom dwarven heirs, which would help quell any arguments against Kili, since his children will not take the throne.”

Thorin thought for a moment. At the last feast they had had, both Tauriel and Bilbo had been welcomed in Erebor. He had not missed those who had given them questioning looks, but overall he had believed they were at least respected by his people. “Agreed. After decades of war and struggling to make ends meet, I want a time of peace. I want Erebor to know happiness and to know that even though Master Baggins and Tauriel are outsiders for the time being, they are part of the reason for our happiness.”

“We'll see that they do Your Majesty. We all will. Master Baggins has already come to Gimthen with ideas on how to restore the desolation to it's former glory. He's in the market daily, talking to the people and making friends with him. He's already done half the work for us.”

At that Thorin smiled and the rest of the council chuckled as they nodded in agreement with Glanel.

“With you Durin's on the throne, life here is never dull.”

Thorin took a swig of ale. “Considering everything we've been through and how....adventurous our family is, I really can't argue with that.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I'm sorry this took to long. I've been battling a terrible writers block.
> 
> I also hurt myself at work, ironically injuring my back. I was lifting something, which caused something in my back to pop. Since March I've been in constant pain, despite physical therapy and prescription pain medicine. It took five months to figure out that I had a herniated disc. I suffered from sleep deprivation because the pain was so bad, often not getting more than a few hours of sleep every night. I also went through a bad break-up last month, which didn't help any of this. 
> 
> I'm once again back in school, but I hope to start posting chapters again regularly. I struggled with this one for hours, finally forcing myself past the writers block.


	10. Chapter 10

Thorin grumbled to himself as he stomped away from the Council Chamber. He had had enough of meddlesome dwarfs for the day and needed some time to himself. Or at least some time with Erebor's pair of resident hobbits. Changing direction without even thinking about it, he quickly made his way through Erebor's many halls, until he found himself in a mostly abandoned hall. He made for the sunlight at the very end of it, squeezing his way past the half-blocked door and out into the open air.

The air was crisp and he breathed it in, letting it calm him down and relax him for a moment. He looked around, and smiled as he easily located Bilbo, who from the sound of it, was having a very heated argument with a dead bush and somehow losing the argument. Frodo wasn't far from Bilbo, wrapped up in several layers of sweaters and scarves, mittens on his hands and one of Ori's hats on his small head. Granite was sleeping behind him, while Flint was off chasing several of the Ravens. Essie was no where to be seen, which he found odd.

Bilbo swore loudly as he yanked on the dead bush, stomping his furry foot into the ground. Frodo giggled at his Uncle and seeing Thorin, got up and ran to him as fast as his small feet could carry him.

“What has the bush done to deserve such treatment?” Thorin asked as he scooped the lad up, Frodo snuggling into his fur coat.

“It exists,” Bilbo grumbled out, yanking on it once more. “Stupid thing refuses to budge. I've spent all week clearing this garden and this stupid bush just. Wont. BUDGE!”

Thorin looked at Frodo, slightly concerned about Bilbo, but Frodo just shrugged. He'd spent most of the week up here with Bilbo, so he was more that used to his Uncles yelling by now.

“I can have dwarves come up here to help you remove it if you'd like,” Thorin offered as he sat down on a nearby piece of rubble.

Bilbo kicked the bush angrily. It didn't move and he plopped down beside it in defeat. “Thank you, but I want to do this myself. I've been gardening all my life and it's one of the few things I know I do better than you dwarves.”

Thorin looked around. He'd only been here twice in the week since Bilbo had found the lost garden. His hobbit had all but run him over after he'd found it, dragging Thorin up through the halls until he'd shoved Thorin past the half-blocked door and out into the sunlight. He asked (demanded) permission to restore the garden to its former glory.

Thorin vaguely remembered this garden from his childhood in Erebor. If he was right, it had once belonged to his grandmother, who had died a handful of years before Smaug had come. When she had passed, Thor fell to the gold-sickness completely, and the garden was abandoned and left to run wild. It had once had glass panels that enclosed it, to keep the snow out of it, and be a greenhouse in the wintertime. During the summer the panels could be removed and stored away. Thorin already had dwarves working on making replacements.

“Bilbo, you've already done in a week what would take dwarves a month to do. And since you're main helper here still can't fully move his fingers, would it truly be terrible to accept a dwarves help to remove the bush? It probably just needs two people instead of one.”

Bilbo huffed and glared at the bush again. “Oh I'll get it out on my own. I won't be bested by a bush.”

Thorin made a face, which Frodo laughed at. He tickled the lads feet and whispered to him, “Go chase off Flint before he angers the Ravens.” He handed Frodo a few pieces of bread and the lad ran off and tried to tackle the giant wolf.

Flint fell to the ground, rolling onto this stomach and Frodo rubbed his belly with his good hand. “Go lay with Granite!” Sulking, the wolf went and dramatically sat on his brother. Granite snarled, but didn't move as Flint began to lick his brother clean. Frodo giggled again as he broke up the bread, holding out the crumbs in his hands to the Ravens. It took a few minutes, but they quickly descended when they realized that Flint was done tormenting them, happily taking the crumbs from Frodo. None of them were yet fluent in Common, but they could speak a few broken words and voiced their thanks to the young hobbit.

Both adults smiled, Thorin sliding down from his seat to sit on the ground opposite Bilbo. “Bofur's men will come tomorrow to clear the rubble from the hallway and from the doors so that it's safer. Shouldn't take more than a few hours.”

“Thank you. Hasn't really been a problem out here thankfully. With the dragon's comings and goings, and his destruction of the countryside, I'm surprised that he let this go almost untouched.” He pointed to the pile of dead plants he had in a pile. “None of those plants died by fire, but from malnutrition. I haven't found a single trace of ash. A handful survived, but they'll take a few months to revive.”

He glared at the bush next to him. “This one might die by fire though.”

Thorin laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “One of the kindest and gentlest souls I've ever met, one who puts up with my enemies with more grace than I ever will, but a mere bush is what has you planning murder.”

Bilbo smirked at him. “There are three things you don't mess with with Hobbits. Our food, our gardens, and our families. Do so, and you'll live to regret it.”

Thorin nodded. “Dually noted.”

“So what has you coming up here at this time of the day?” Bilbo asked. “I doubt you heard my swearing down that far in Erebor.”

Thorin groaned as he leaned back against the rock behind him.

“Bad council meeting?” Bilbo asked.

“That's not even the half of it. Be glad that you nor the lads were their.”

“Why?”

“Because otherwise I'm fairly certain I would be presiding over Erebor's first murder trial right now.”

Bilbo paled slightly. “What happened?”

“Some unsavory remarks were made about you by Haravi. He's been punished for them, but Glanel is worried that more dwarves might have ill intentions towards you.”

Bilbo's face went white, his eyes immediately going to Frodo. Thorin quickly sat up and took Bilbo's hand, his eyes darting back to Thorin. “Frodo's not in any danger. Nori and Dwalin have multiple eyes on both you and him. You're safe here, I promise.”

Bilbo nodded and took a deep breath, but Thorin didn't miss that his hobbit was shaking. He gently tugged Bilbo over to him, tucking him into his side and wrapping his arm around Bilbo protectively. “You're safe here,” Thorin whispered. “It's the fears of old dwarves, nothing more.”

“You're not old,” Bilbo muttered.

Thorin rolled his eyes. “Glanel is. His beard is whiter than Balins.”

“What did Haravi say?”

“He didn't like the Arkenstone incident. Or my decision to show Elrond the map in Rivendell. He said that the only reason I allow you in these halls was to...” Thorin trailed off, not wanting to say it.

“ _What_ Thorin?” Bilbo demanded.

Thorin glanced over to Frodo, who was completely oblivious to their discussion. Good. The lad definitely did _not_ need to hear this. “To warm my bed,” he said quietly.

Bilbo's face flooded with color, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles went white. “The nerve! Why I ought to..!” Bilbo jumped up, probably ready to try and stab Haravi with Sting himself. Thorin grabbed him and pulled him back into his lap, locking his arms around Bilbo as he tried to wrestle his way free, but Thorin's grip was one of iron.

“Stop! Before you scare Frodo!” Thorin whispered into his ear. “Haravi's beard has been shorn and he has been banished from the Mountain permanently! Dwalins men saw him from the Mountain themselves. If he returns he will die instantly.”

Bilbo stopped squirming, but his face remained one of pure anger. “The sheer arrogance to say such a thing,” he seethed. “How dare he cheapen me like that! Cheapen you like that! Question your decisions! Where was he while we were all risking our lives to free Erebor? Sitting him some Hall drinking and getting fat no doubt.”

Thorin loosened his hold on Bilbo slightly, still worried that if he let his burglar go he'd run off and try to catch up with Haravi himself. “I know. The whole Council witnessed it. It wasn't just my word that banished him, it was theirs as well.”

“What did he say about Frodo?”

Thorin covered Bilbo's fists with his hands, trying to loosen them. “Nothing. He didn't say anything about him. If he had, he never would have made it out of that room alive. Bofur would have skinned him. Probably with Zara's help.”

“Good.”

Thorin wondered why he always forgot just how vindictive Hobbits were. Bilbo shivered slightly, leaning back into the dwarf furnace at his back. Thorin pulled his coat around them both, the two of them sitting in silence for a few moments as they watched Frodo.

He was still feeding the Ravens, a few of them having brought him shiny things they had found as thanks for feeding them. Probably old coins or pieces of jewelry. Dale was still full of such remnants. Or perhaps they had snuck into the treasury. Either way it was of little concern to Thorin. The Ravens were valuable allies to Erebor, so he let them do as they pleased.

“What are you thinking?” Thorin murmured after a few minutes.

Bilbo shrugged. “I don't know. That I want to hit Haravi. Punch him. Throw him from Erebor myself. Show him that I'm better than what he thinks of me. That how dare he question you. You sacrificed almost everything for Erebor and he gives you no credit. You nearly died protecting her. He wasn't here. _I was_. I watched you fight for your life for _weeks_ after the Battle. And he dares to think so low of you.”

He took a ragged breath and looked back at Thorin. “It's been over a year. Erebor is just starting to thrive again. No one's questioned your leadership so far. It's as if he's _trying_ to bring up dissent.”

Thorin shook his head. “He's not trying to start a coup or revolt of any kind. We would already know about it. Dwarves are loyal to those who protect them. I've been leading my people for seventeen decades, since the day the dragon came. After my grandfather and father died, I dedicated my life to them. We settled Ered Luin and prospered. It was nothing compared to what we once had, but we were at peace and my people were safe. I spent most of my days with them and they knew me not as just their king, but as a _friend_. I do the same here. They are loyal to me and will continue to follow me. We are in no danger of a revolt against my line.”

“But you said that the council thinks more dwarves might have ill intentions towards me.”

He nodded. “Yes, but Glanel is already working on a way to solve that problem. A feast in your honor, so that all of Erebor can see just how important you were to the Quest and how important you still are. That these thirteen dwarves would have never even made it to Rivendell without your help or quick thinking.”

Bilbo snorted. “You were a bunch of idiots.”

Thorin thought for a moment and then shrugged. “Dis got the brains in this family. Fili and Kili got them to, but then tend to put theirs to more devious uses.”

“Pranks?”

“You wouldn't believe the stories.”

That got a small laugh out of Bilbo, who shivered again. “Let's go inside,” he said quietly. “I've got some soup I want to make for dinner tonight.”

Thorin nodded, releasing his hold on Bilbo so that they could get up. Thorin whistled, the wolves begrudgingly waking up and trotting off. Frodo waved good-bye to the Ravens, brushing the crumbs off his sweater and scooping up his new treasures. He ran over to Thorin, holding his hands up and giving the dwarf a toothy grin. “Up?”

Thorin smiled softly, picking him up and easily setting him on his hip. “What did the Ravens give you?”

Frodo held out his hand in response. “Don't know, but they're pretty!”

Bilbo laughed as he took a look at the items in his nephews hand. “Looks like some old coins if I'm right?”

Thorin nodded as they made their way through the door and down the empty hall. “Aye, these were minted in my great-grandfathers time.”

“How can you tell?” Frodo asked.

“Well, that's a long story.”

“Please?” Frodo turned his huge puppy dog eyes on Thorin and he was utterly helpless against them. He looked to Bilbo for help, who was smiling and nodded his head at Frodo.

“Well, you see...”

It took the rest of the night to tell the story, with Frodo's constant questions and Bilbos as well, but Thorin didn't mind. 

 


End file.
